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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26138422">Missing Sunrise</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jestayork/pseuds/jestayork'>jestayork</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Constellar Rings (sci-fi AU) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst, Gen, Groundhog Day, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Murder Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Team as Family, Temporary Character Death, Time Loop, apparently this is a stressful read, no one's actually murderous it's just [spoiler]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:53:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>80,942</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26138422</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jestayork/pseuds/jestayork</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was supposed to be a regular cargo delivery run, but there's something on the ship that's trying to kill them all and Tubbo keeps living the same day over and over again</p><p>(Inspired by their Among Us streams)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>No Romantic Relationship(s), Toby Smith | Tubbo &amp; TommyInnit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Constellar Rings (sci-fi AU) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1920460</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1110</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1614</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Smooth sailing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first fanfic so I don't really know what I'm doing<br/>I'm a sucker for time loops and this one's complex so it might be a bit confusing</p><p>All character deaths are temporary!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The crisp air of the alien planet stings at Tubbo's ears. He considers going back into the ship to grab a beanie, but they'll be finally leaving in a few minutes anyway. He kicks at the strange purple rocks as he waits for everyone to say their goodbyes. It was the middle of the night and they were supposed to have left about five hours ago.</p><p>"Yeah yeah I get it. You'll miss me, won't you Techno!" Tommy proclaims, whacking his brother (in all but blood) on the back. Techno rolls his eyes.</p><p>Tubbo doesn't know Techno that well but he can tell something is on his mind. But he just really wants to leave this planet before his face freezes off, so he grabs Tommy's arm and starts dragging him to the ramp into the cargo bay just as Wilbur boredly announces over the intercom</p><p>"<i>alright ladies and gents if you're coming, get on the ship and if you're not, move away from the engines if you don't want to die</i>"</p><p>"What the fuck, Tubbo! We were having a moment!" Tommy complains even as he follows Tubbo into the ship, "This is the first time we're going on a cargo run without him. I was gonna say something cool".<br/>
The door closes immediately behind them. It can be a bit unnerving how glued to the security cameras Wilbur gets, how likes to monitor everything that goes on, but it sure is convenient. The cold from outside is immediately cut off and Tubbo feels a bit more alive in the insulated walls of the ship. </p><p>Tubbo and his friends live on an old freight ship, earning money through transporting cargo. The old ship was nothing fancy, about twenty years old with chunky buttons rather than touchpads and the wires a mess in the walls. But it gets the job done.<br/>
Currently, the walls are a sickly green and have no personality, and the carpets are a bit mouldy at the corners. Niki has plans to completely renovate the ship so that it can really feel like home. That's what she's doing right now on planetside. For the first time since they bought the ship last year, half the crew isn't even coming on the delivery trip because most of them are helping her barter for materials. Tubbo would have loved to go, but the underbelly of the markets is apparently too dangerous for a kid to visit.</p><p>Niki promised to take plenty of photos, so he isn't too disappointed, </p><p>The mission today isn't a huge one, just long. They have to travel all the way from the Rigel system to the Beta Hydrus system, drop off the cargo and come all the way back. That would take about a week at full speed if they use all the phasegates, but they'll have to avoid some checkpoints if the cargo is less than legal.<br/>
As he passes a crate, Tubbo drums his fingers against the sturdy metal, creating a soothing rhythm. "It's not that bad Tommy, I'm sure Techno can imagine you said something awesome." He vaguely wonders what they're transporting today, but Wilbur and Phil are usually the only ones who ever know. For everyone's safety if they get caught by any authorities.</p><p>The crew coming today are himself and Tommy, Wilbur, Phil, Fundy, Scott and Minx. The small crew means that they can make extra money transporting some people to the Beta Hydrus system. Tubbo hasn't even seen their passengers yet, but if Wilbur let them on the ship, then he can trust them. </p><p>Probably. </p><p>(a couple months ago, a passenger tried to call the Proxima-Sol Alliance cops on them, so he's learned to be a bit cautious about the strangers that they let on board)</p><p>Tommy grumbles but doesn't say anything else. </p><p>____<br/>
____</p><p>"Okay boys, chores for this week" Phil announces. Glancing at the notebook, Phil reads "we need to have exterior decontamination done by Thursday, so you should both get started on that as soon as you can… Tubbo, it's your turn to clean the medical bay floor, and Tommy you'll need to vacuum the carpets on the top deck"</p><p>Half a year ago they would complain, but they're both used to life on the ship. Everyone has to pull their own weight or they never get anything done.</p><p>Tubbo scrapes the extra scraps of food into the bin with his fork and puts his plate in the dishwasher. In space, water is priceless, and so they aren't allowed to hand wash anything. Water is very carefully rationed, especially when they're so far into the abyss that they'd never make it to an outpost or another ship before dying of dehydration.</p><p>"Do you want to do the decontamination right now? I wasn't really doing anything." Tubbo asks Tommy.</p><p>Tommy shudders "I guess it's best to get it over and done with"</p><p>Tubbo understands Tommy's hatred of decontaminating the ship, but he loves it. So, he's excited as they climb up the ladder to the top deck. The top deck is the place on the ship that feels the most like home, where the sleeping quarters are, which are the most personalised and don't even smell like mould anymore. Of course, there's always more renovations to be done. He really doesn't like the bright bluish lights that occasionally flicker and give him a bit of a headache.</p><p>Down the hall from the bedrooms is the airlock, one of the sturdiest parts of the ship for obvious reasons. </p><p>They both put on their space suits, open the door into the airlock, step in and close it behind them. Tubbo connects an oxygen tube to his suit and double checks the seal. He latches the caribiner of his connector wire in his suit's backpack to a loop of metal bolted in the wall, before carefully watching Tommy do the same. When Tommy gives him a thumbs up, Tubbo presses the button to open the exterior air lock. </p><p>And then there's nothing between him and the void but plastic and fabric. His breath is loud in his ears as the gravity generators power down in the airlock and he drifts slightly upwards. He propels himself forwards, out of the airlock, by pushing against a wall.</p><p>Tubbo stares out at the brilliant stars. It's been a couple of days since they left Rigel so the star's light blends in with all the others, only identifiable by its blue light and looking slightly larger than the rest. Being out here really puts life in perspective. Everyone is so small - half of his family is on a planet too small to see orbiting that small blue dot. </p><p>He feels a moment of peace.</p><p>It's promptly shattered by Tommy screaming and slamming into him, sending them both spiralling through space. "What the hell! Tommy!"<br/>
He grabs onto his connector wire, stopping it from extending so that he swings down and lands feet-first on the side of the ship. "I can't believe you."</p><p>"Don't be a bitch boy Tubbo. I'm not as good at moving around in zero gravity as you." Tommy complains, continuing to float further away from the ship. "… can I get some help?"</p><p>Tubbo sighs, activating the magnet-locks on his boots to stop him from flying off again. "I'll walk you through it"<br/>
____</p><p>By the time Tommy sets his feet on the side of the ship, Tubbo has already grabbed two decontaminator tools, which is just a fancy way of saying chemical-soaked mops. As tedious as it is, scrubbing the outside of the ship is necessary to prevent the spread of viruses and hardy fungi throughout the galaxy, where they may decimate ecosystems. They may be criminals, but they're not monsters. No one wants another plague destroying an entire planet's crops. </p><p>Ship scrubbing is a good opportunity for small-talk, as there's not much else to do. They meticulously cleaned every surface of the ship, chatting about what they want in the renovations. Occasionally, Wilbur radios from the bridge to check on them, but nothing really happens.</p><p>They work on decontaminating the ship for several hours, and return the next day to finish it off. Tubbo can tell Tommy is relieved to be done, even if his friend doesn't say anything.</p><p>____<br/>
____</p><p>"<i>Everyone strap in, we'll going through a phasegate in a second</i>" Phil announces through the intercom "<i>we may be in for a bit of a rough ride</i>"</p><p>"What's happening?" one of the passengers asks while everyone else in the room sits down in the seats by the airlock and buckles their seatbelts.</p><p>Wilbur looks a bit startled by the question.</p><p>"Have you never been through a phasegate before?" Wilbur asks, "when you go through one, the gravity generator stops working for a couple of seconds."</p><p>"And it gets all staticky," Tommy grumbles. The passenger still looks confused, but he sits down and buckles his seatbelt. Tubbo would learn his name, but they're never going to see the man again when they arrive at Beta Hydrus 12 anyway, so there's really no point.</p><p>The ship lurches and they are all surrounded by blue light. There's a faint buzzing in the air, and Tubbo can see the universe go completely white outside the airlock window. He can feel himself slightly float up from the seat. The cupboards in the walls rattle concerningly.</p><p>"OW! FUCK!" Fundy yells, "it <i>zapped </i>me! Why does it always happen to <i> me</i>!" He shakes his hand frantically, as if trying to dispel the shock. "And it hurt way more than usual! <i>So much more.</i>"</p><p>Tommy cackles. The ship lurches again and the blue light fades, the ship returning to normal.<br/>
They're back in the expanse of regular space, and when Tubbo stands up and looks out the airlock window, he can see that the tiny dot that is Rigel is much smaller than it was before, blending in with the infinity of other stars.</p><p>The intercom buzzes again "<i>that's the only phasegate we'll be taking this trip. I think we'll be at our destination in about three more days</i>"</p><p>Fundy breathes a sigh of relief.</p><p>____</p><p>"Are you okay, Scott?"</p><p>"I'm fine. It's just … living on a space ship like this, I never get to meet new people. At this rate I'll be single forever..."</p><p>"Have you tried Grindr?"</p><p>Scott splutters in shock "<i>What</i>???"<br/>
____</p><p>"Hey Minx, do you have a pencil?" Tubbo pokes his head around the door into Minx and Niki's shared room. "Oh, hey Niki!"</p><p>"<i>Hello Tubbo!</i>" Niki calls from Minx's phone screen.</p><p>"Niki and I were just talkin' about what curtains we wanna get for the cafeteria" Minx is lying face down on the bottum bunk, lazily waving her hand around. "I had no idea it would be this <i>fookin' complicated</i>."</p><p>Niki laughs nervously, "<i>it's just that the light-adaptive curtains are only found on the east side of town, and Techno says it is very dangerous there</i>."</p><p>"<i>It is</i>." Techno says off screen.</p><p>"I'm sure you can handle it. You should go so that we don't waste all our time and money on shitty curtains." Minx complains, her face still buried in the pillow. "Pencil is in the drawer between our beds, Tubbo"</p><p>____</p><p>Tommy prods Tubbo as discreetly as he can to get his attention. "I have the <i>best</i> idea Tubbo". They're in the cafeteria, Tubbo working on designing his dream terrarium for his future pet bugs. Tommy leans in close, looking as suspicious as humanly possible "you know how Fundy is a furry, yeah? Yesterday I found superglue…"</p><p>Tubbo had a feeling where this was going</p><p>"…and some fabric. Which here, look, I sewed it into fox ears"</p><p>Yeah, he knew exactly where this was going "if Phil doesn't think it's funny you're gonna end up in so much trouble, but that won't stop you will it, Tommy?"</p><p>"Not at all my friend, not at all." </p><p>____</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 1 is just set up for later, much more dramatic chapters</p><p>(the convo between Scott and Tubbo is something that actually happened, I felt I had to include it somehow)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Alarms in the Night II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I added some more filler to chapter 1 if you'd like to go back and read that</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>_____</p><p>Tubbo is woken by the blaring of alarms. He cracks an eye open to look at his clock. 2:14 am. Of course it is.<br/>
He pulls himself out of bed, grabbing a yellow coat and putting it on before opening the door and walking out into the hallway. "What's going on?"</p><p>Wilbur is already standing in the hallway, checking a screen on the wall. "There's been a breach. In the starboard of the cargo bay." More people file out of their rooms, looking tired and confused. "It's probably nothing, but it's best if one or two people go check on it. We can probably leave repairs 'til morning." He taps a button to shut off the alarm, and the ship is filled with blessed silence.</p><p>As Wilbur was speaking, Fundy appears out of his room, with the fox ears glued to his head. He looks very confused, but his face is filled with dread as Wilbur speaks. He reaches to the top of his head, and his eyes widen as he touches the lopsided ears. "Oh no. Oh fuck. It was - <i>fuck.</i>" Fundy looks more and more panicked, and his reaction isn't very funny. Tubbo feels a bit bad for taking part in the prank, Fundy looks genuinely upset.</p><p>"I'll go." One of the passengers says.</p><p>"NO!" Fundy interrupts. Everyone in the hallway turns to stare at him, and he seems to shrink in embarrassment. "… wouldn't it make the most sense for someone who knows the ship really well to go?"</p><p>"That makes sense" Scott agrees, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, "who wants to go with him?"</p><p>"I'm probably not going to be able to get back to sleep again, so I might as well," Tommy volunteers. He seems disappointed by Fundy's strange, unfunny reaction.</p><p>"Okay!" Phil claps his hands together, "I'm going back to bed. See you later." </p><p>Fundy and Tommy walk to the ladder to climb down to the next deck, disappearing into the darkness.<br/>
____</p><p>Tubbo isn’t able to fall back to sleep. It's now 2:47 and Tommy still hasn't come back to their room. Did something happen? What would he and Fundy be doing?</p><p>He rolls over and checks his phone. He doesn't have any new messages from anyone. Something feels wrong.</p><p> </p><p>He's broken out of his half-sleep by the alarm sounding again. Relieved that something is happening, he stumbles out of bed and into the hallway, glad that he never bothered to take his jacket off. This time, Phil is the first one to the datapad, frantically scrolling through the information.</p><p>"What's wrong?"</p><p>"The oxygen is down! We only have a few minutes until we're dead!" Phil yells.</p><p>Tubbo <i>runs</i>. He hurriedly climbs down the ladder, almost slipping at some of the rungs. He runs out of the cafeteria, through the ominously dark corridors, almost twisting his ankles as he turns the corner into the oxygen room. </p><p> </p><p>He didn't ask Phil what part of the generator was broken, but from a glance he can see that everything <i>looks</i> normal.</p><p>It has to be the wiring</p><p>Tubbo drops to his knees and yanks at the grate, letting it clatter to the floor. He looks inside, and his stomach drops at what he sees. </p><p> </p><p>The wires have been cut clean through the centre. </p><p> </p><p>Someone did this on purpose.</p><p> </p><p>Internally screaming, Tubbo holds the two ends of a blue wire together, looking around the room for something to hold them together… he doesn't see anything. <i>Shit shit shit-</i></p><p>But - he still has the superglue in his pocket! He fumbles for the bottle in the pocket of his jacket. He hears approaching footsteps and Scott bursts into the room. </p><p>"Scott! Grab me some leaves!"</p><p>Scott, panicking, opens a case and tears some leaves off of one of the larger plants. He drops them next to Tubbo, hovering anxiously. Tubbo squeezes the glue onto a leaf and wraps it around the severed wire, connecting the two halves. His hands shaking, he does the same for the other three cut wires. </p><p>As he touches the last halves together, the alarm cuts off. </p><p>He makes sure the leaves are securely covering the connection, before breathing a sigh of relief, glad that the superglue is fast-drying. Someone is going to have to replace the leaves with something sturdier, like duct tape. He doesn't really trust leaves to hold the wires for very long. Tubbo flops backwards onto the floor, dazedly looking up at the ceiling.</p><p> </p><p>"Let's never do that again." He breathes.</p><p> </p><p>"…Yeah" Scott says distantly.</p><p>____</p><p>They meet the others back at the cafeteria. Everyone is standing around a table, nervously waiting for them. He's glad to see that Tommy is okay, standing wide-eyed with the others. Tubbo feels a bit guilty for making them wait while he just sat on the floor breathing, but it's not like he can go back and fix it, so he just walks up to the table, rehearsing what he's going to say. </p><p>He takes a breath-<br/>
"The oxygen wasn't broken. It was sabotaged." Scott says before Tubbo can. </p><p>There's exclamations of disbelief around the table. "No way! Why would anyone do that!" Minx shouts.</p><p>"What do you mean, Scott?" Wilbur asks, sitting down, "talk us through what happened."</p><p>"The problem was with the wiring. It wasn't just broken by stress or heat, they were cut clean through the middle - like somebody used scissors on them."</p><p>Wilbur nods solemnly, staring down at the table. "It makes sense. Eret replaced the wires only a few weeks ago. There's no way that they'd break so quickly."</p><p>Everyone is silent. </p><p>"…So what do we do?"</p><p>Phil sighs. "Looks like we're going to have to be very careful from now on. Everyone has to stick together. We can't leave anybody on their own… We have to assume that anyone is willing to kill us all..."</p><p> </p><p>"…and we have to figure out who, or we'll never make it off this ship" Wilbur finishes. </p><p>"Tommy, you're with Minx… Tubbo with Fundy… Scott, Phil and I with a passenger each. We need to keep on top of our normal tasks so that the ship doesn't fall apart on its own."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I haven't decided on who the passengers are and I probably should. Comment below who else you want shoved into this story!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Jellyfish and Sharks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So, what was wrong with cargo bay, anyway? You and Tommy were gone for a long time" Tubbo tilts his head nervously towards Fundy as he climbs back up the ladder to the top deck. </p><p>Fundy shrugs, adjusting his cap while looking up at Tubbo. "It wasn't anything special. A chunk of space debris somehow made it past the shields and punched a hole in the outer wall. Tommy and I just decided that since we were already down there we might as well fix it."</p><p>Over the months that Tubbo has lived on this ship, they've been through a few dangerous situations… the worst probably being the time that space pirates tried to board them - Techno had kicked everyone out of the comms room and somehow threatened them away (Tubbo could only imagine how, Techno never told anyone, not even Wilbur, what happened). Every time, Tubbo was able to rely on his crewmates to protect him, and could just focus on what he needed to do without having to worry about his own safety. </p><p>That wasn't the case this time. As much as he loved everyone in the crew, he couldn't <i>trust</i> them<br/>
He couldn't ignore that the three passengers, the ones he would expect to be the most likely to try and kill him and his friends, were nowhere near the oxygen room.</p><p>Scott and one of the passengers, a muscular-looking man with dark hair, are already sitting in the lounge room when Tubbo opens the door. The large screen embedded in the wall is playing a livestream of an aquarium, and Tubbo allows himself to be entranced by the calming flow of fish circling past the camera.<br/>
Tubbo hasn’t ever seen a live fish in person, as keeping them is a massive waste of water in space. </p><p>For his entire life he's never settled down on a planet or moon, the closest being spending about eight years on a station orbiting a planet. He can't really imagine living on a planet, when space, for all its dangers, is so freeing.<br/>
Fundy follows him into the room and leans against the wall, scrolling through his phone.</p><p>Jellyfish drift across the screen.</p><p>____</p><p>"Sorry, I never got your name" Tubbo finally addresses the passenger. The man looks startled to have Tubbo talking to him, but smiles. </p><p>"I'm Sparklez" he says, "you're Tubbie, right?"</p><p>"Tubbo" he corrects. "So, where are you going?"</p><p>Sparklez holds his hands behind his head. "I'm headed back home. Spent a year or two in the Rigel system, in the end I got sick of the blue sunlight."</p><p>"Home? You mean like home-home, planet Earth?" Tubbo asks in shock. Sparklez nods. "How rich are you? What are you doing on this ship when you could buy a brand new cruiser with a crew-"</p><p>Sparklez chuckles "I'm banned from most shipyards. I've done things that the authorities don't like very much" he stands and turns to Scott, "I'd like to get something to eat"</p><p>Scott sighs and stands up from the couch "This buddy system is annoying."</p><p>The two men leave the room, Fundy stepping away from the door to let them pass.</p><p> </p><p>Now he's alone in the room with Fundy and the hammerhead shark drifting onto the screen. The comfortable safety he felt in the crowd disappears. </p><p> </p><p>Tubbo shifts uncomfortably in his seat.</p><p>The door slides shut.</p><p>Fundy wordlessly pushes against the wall to walk further into the room. Tubbo glances around the lounge for some kind of weapon. </p><p>If his friend attacks him. </p><p>Tubbo decides on Minx's metal drink bottle, sitting under the table about a metre from him. He doesn't know if Fundy has a weapon, if he doesn't, Tubbo should be able to grab the bottle before Fundy can do anything. </p><p> </p><p>But, before anything happens, his phone rings. A video call from Niki. Hurriedly, he accepts the call. "H-hey Niki"</p><p>"<i>Hi Tubbo!</i>" Niki is standing in a market, the tarps stretched between stalls shading her from the blue midday sunlight of Rigel. There is a lot of background noise from people bartering and salespeople advertising their products. "<i>We're just about to go into the curtains district. Since there's bad reception in there, I wanted to make sure I know what everyone wants before we go in. I tried to call Minx, but she didn't pick up</i> -"</p><p>
  <i>Oh no.</i>
</p><p>"<i>- so could you find her and get her on the phone for me? </i>"</p><p>Tubbo looks over at Fundy. He's sat on a beanbag, staring at the aquarium stream, idly drumming his fingers on the carpet. "Did Wilbur call you and tell you what’s going on?"</p><p>"<i> No? Is there something going on?</i>"</p><p>"Are the others with you, Niki?"</p><p>"<i>Yes. Is something wrong? You look scared…</i>" </p><p> </p><p>He is.</p><p>Eret appears next to Niki and peers at the screen, looking concerned when he sees Tubbo's expression. "<i>Hey Tubbo, what's wrong?</i>"</p><p> </p><p>Fundy's now fiddling with his butterfly knife.</p><p>"We're kind of in the middle of a crisis."</p><p>"<i>What?!</i>"</p><p>"<i>Is everyone okay?</i>"</p><p> </p><p>It's going to be fine. Fundy wouldn’t hurt him when he's on call with the others. Eret would definitely call Wilbur or someone, and Fundy would be caught.</p><p>"Someone purposely broke the oxygen generator… we don’t know who, so we all have to stay in pairs until we find out so it doesn't happen again."</p><p> </p><p>(It's too risky for Fundy to attack him.)</p><p>"<i>What?! Are you safe, Tubbo?</i>"</p><p> </p><p>(The knife clicks as Fundy twirls it open and closed.)</p><p> </p><p>"… I'm with Fundy right now, in the lounge. Do you think we should go look for Minx?"</p><p> </p><p>(<i>Click. </i>Open.)</p><p> </p><p>Niki's eyebrows furrow in worry. "<i>Something could have happened to her. Who is she with?</i>"</p><p> </p><p>(<i>Click. </i>Closed.)</p><p> </p><p>"Tommy. I think Wilbur paired  me and Tommy with people he trusts, while he, Scott and Phil are with the passengers because they'd probably be able to handle themselves if they try to do anything."</p><p> </p><p>(<i>Click. </i>Open.)</p><p> </p><p>He's not too sure about Wilbur's judgement.<br/>
…Fundy's knife would have been able to cut through the wires with no problem.</p><p> </p><p>(<i>Click. </i>Closed.)</p><p> </p><p>"If something happened to Tommy and Minx, we have to check." He says to Niki, and then turns to look Fundy in the eyes. At some point the man had turned away from the livestream and was staring directly at Tubbo. </p><p> </p><p>(<i>Click. </i>Open.)</p><p> </p><p> He'd love to confess his fears to Niki, but if Fundy knows he's suspicious of him - it could be the last thing he ever says.</p><p>He tries to shove his fear away and speaks to Fundy. "Can we go find Minx and Tommy? I … don't know how much you heard, but Minx isn't answering any of Niki's attempts to contact her."</p><p> </p><p>(<i>Click. </i>Closed.)</p><p> </p><p>Fundy stands, pocketing his butterfly knife. "Sounds like a good idea."</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo looks back down at his phone. "Is it okay if we don't hang up just yet, Niki? Just in case something happens…"</p><p> </p><p>Niki nods solemnly. "<i>I'll try and stay on call for as long as I can</i>."</p><p>Fundy turns off the aquarium livestream, and Tubbo is once again reminded of how much danger he could be in as the room is filled with silence. The only sound he hears is the bustle of the crowd from his phone as Fundy walks to the door and pulls it open. He walks out, and Tubbo stands up and follows him.</p><p> </p><p>The hallway is empty. He glances to the airlock. For the first time in his life, he's not encouraged by the vast expanse of starry darkness. It's just a reminder of how isolated they are. He hears Niki talking to someone, probably Eret. Tubbo can't really pay attention.</p><p>He's starting to feel a bit numb.</p><p>Someone starts shouting from the deck below. Fundy looks to Tubbo in confusion, but turns away quickly. They both run to the ladder, Fundy being the one to start climbing down first. Tubbo realises that it’s not screaming, but a heated argument. </p><p> </p><p>He climbs down, and is shocked at what he sees. </p><p> </p><p>Everyone is standing in the cafeteria. Scott is holding Tommy's hands behind his back, Sparklez standing next to Scott, his hand gripping Tommy's shoulder firmly. Phil and Wilbur are shouting at each other, but Tubbo can’t catch up with what they're saying.</p><p>"What's going on?" Fundy asks.</p><p> </p><p>Sparklez notices Tubbo and Fundy, "Tommy killed Minx."</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo's phone clatters on the tiles.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I tried my hardest to write a tense scene, not sure how well I did it.<br/>We're getting into meat of the story now!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Faith and Missed Calls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tubbo feels the cafeteria warp around him, the walls closing in and the floor becoming impossibly far away. A pool of dread, disgust and misery settles in his stomach.</p><p>He hadn't noticed, when he and Fundy rushed in. In all of the chaos. </p><p>Minx isn't here.</p><p>"We have to be realistic, Phil!" Wilbur shouts, "it doesn't matter if it's because something's wrong with him, he <i>killed her</i>! He's a danger to us all."</p><p>
  <i>Minx is gone…?<i> The thought takes effort to process. <i>Minx is gone.</i></i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>Oh god Minx is dead</i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>She's dead</i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Wilbur-" Phil tries, but stops himself short, "what do you want to do with him, then?</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Hey hey hey, I'm fine with taking him to medbay, but there's no locks on the doors. When no one's looking <i>he could get out and hurt somebody else</i>."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tubbo feels sick. Tommy wouldn't hurt anyone. He's joked about it sometimes, of course, but he isn't actually a bad person…</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He would never…</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>…would he?</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tubbo's eyes stray from Wilbur and Phil, to examine Tommy. Usually, he can analyse Tommy's expressions really well, the years they've known each other and shared a room making him all too familiar with his friend's (best friend?) (…is he not anymore?) small tells.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>But the face that he sees is of a stranger. Tommy is staring blankly at the table, not paying attention to the argument that <i>will</i> decide his life. Tubbo <i>knows</i>, for certain, that Tommy should be defending himself. There's no way the loud teenager wouldn't. Phil is definitely right, there's something wrong.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>As if sensing Tubbo looking at him, Tommy looks up and makes eye contact. Tubbo freezes. The strange mask seems to fall from Tommy's face, and Tubbo can look into his eyes, and he sees…</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Fear.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tommy's scared. He's paler than he should be, his hands shaking ever so slightly by his sides. His friend, <i>his best friend in the entire universe</i>, is terrified.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tommy opens his mouth slightly, as if to say something, but seems to stop himself. He appears to search Tubbo's face for a moment, before looking away.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Are we going to let Tommy try and speak for himself?" Fundy breaks into the argument. "We can't just decide everything with only half the information!"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Wilbur, seemingly about to slam his hands on the table, looks taken aback. He holds his already partially raised hands in a mock surrender. "Fair enough. Tommy, defend yourself."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tommy still has his hands held behind him by Scott. He seems to be considering something before drooping slightly, in a form of …defeat? "I wasn't with Minx. We were both notified of things that we needed to do, so we split up. I had to update something about my profile, in admin, and … I don't know what she was doing. I finished what I was doing, and went to go find her again. That's when I found her … in the - in the hallway." </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tommy's eyes sparkle with unshed tears, and he quickly looks back down at the table, blinking rapidly. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Sparklez squeezes Tommy's shoulder in reassurance. "It's okay, kid."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"But it's not," Scott interrupts. "I saw you kill her. She died right in front of me - you stabbed her!" Scott looks like he's holding back tears as well. His shoulders shake in half laugh, half sob, and he looks up at the ceiling. "I have no idea why, Tommy… why did you do it?"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tommy doesn't look up.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The cafeteria is too silent.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>As Tubbo looks at Tommy, Scott and Sparklez, he knows he's looking at a murderer. He wants to believe Tommy, but that means Scott is a liar. This crew has become his family. He doesn't want to have to make the choice between them.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"It’s Tommy's work against Scott's." One of the passengers, Tubbo still doesn't know his name, says carefully. "… are there security cameras in that hallway?"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"There are." Wilbur says, glancing around the room. "Keep an eye on them both, I'm going to review the footage."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He strides out of the room. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tubbo is torn. After a moment of hesitation, he follows Wilbur.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He shouldn’t have to go alone.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Wilbur isn't surprised to have a follower, looking back at Tubbo for a second before turning to continue walking. Tubbo trails behind him. "Are you sure you want to be a part of this, Tubbo?" Wilbur asks, "you could just go back to your room and stay there until this is all over… No one would blame you for that."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"You know I can’t do that." <i>I have to protect my friends, and I can handle hard choices so long as they're the right ones.</i> Tubbo feels that Wilbur is the one who wants to hide and have the decisions made for him, but they both have a duty to their friends.<i> To Minx. </i></i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tubbo isn't sure what he believes anymore. Everything that he's seen, everything he's thought, has conflicted with everything he <i>knows</i>.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Wilbur nods solemnly. "You're a good kid, Tubbo." He pulls the door to Security open. "Just… stay to the side, okay? I don't want you having to see…"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tubbo nods. He's seen people die before - there's so many things that can go wrong on a space station. …He doesn't think he'd handle witnessing the death of a friend, when he can do nothing. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Besides, Minx deserves some dignity in death, to remembered for her life, not for her final moments.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He very purposefully doesn't look when Wilbur boots the archive footage up, clicking through the cameras and typing in the time and date. He hears faint footsteps, before Wilbur mutes the video.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Oh! He forgot about Niki! He pats the pockets of his jacket, finding them empty. Where did his phone go? </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>… He'd dropped it. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>… He completely forgotten about the phone call, so it probably broke, cutting off any reaction Niki had to the news, if she'd heard it.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>It's a bit strange that she hasn't tried to call Wilbur yet, though.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Wilbur? Can I use your phone to call Niki?" Wilbur pauses the footage and turns around, blankly staring at him for a moment. Tubbo's eyes unwillingly stray to the screen. Minx is standing in the hallway, alone, looking over her shoulder. He tears his eyes away.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"… Yeah, sure. That's a good idea… Keep the others informed." Wilbur turns his attention away from Tubbo, leaving him to grab the phone from the desk.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He unlocks the phone, opening the call function. He clicks on Niki's contact, and waits for her to pick up.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>But she doesn't. The call times out. He tries again.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>She still doesn’t answer.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He switches to Eret. No response.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Techno. Nothing.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>It’s only 5:37 am and everything has fallen apart. <i>The worst morning I've ever had</i>, he thinks. It's almost funny.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Just yesterday, he was plotting a dumb prank on Fundy with Tommy.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"NO!"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tubbo looks up in surprise. Wilbur has (thankfully) closed the tab. The man is sitting, his face held in his hands. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Wilbur takes in a deep, shaky inhale and leans back. "… I sided with Scott, you know. His story made more sense, the evidence pointed to it. I have to do what will keep my crew safe. I thought I was prepared, but I wasn't. Tommy's <i>my brother!</i> There's proof <i>right in front of me</i>, undeniable, that <i>he's a fucking murderer</i>. And part of me still doesn't believe it, <i>can't</i> believe it.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"I'm really not cut out for this job."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>____</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Eventually, everyone comes to agreement to lock Tommy in the brig until they are in a state to better deal with him.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tubbo can't help but cling to the idea that this was a big misunderstanding, or his friend was framed. If he wasn't the real murderer, Tommy was extremely vulnerable. If they are wrong, it's an equal death sentence to throwing him out of the airlock.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>There's never really a reason to go down into the cargo hold anyway, and they can't afford to have someone watch over him. They're down to almost half of their normal crew. The will be spread too thin to check on their prisoner more than a couple times a day.</i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Turns out I've been spelling Niki's name wrong the whole time so I had to go back and fix that lol</p><p>Also, I now have a tumblr, if anyone wants to send an ask to yell at me or learn more about the AU: https://jestayork.tumblr.com/</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Diagnosing the Stars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Warning: major (temporary) character death. Here there be drama</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tubbo checks the time. 5:54 am. Still early enough that he could go back to sleep, but he can't bring himself to enter his and Tommy's shared room when it would be so…</p>
<p>Empty.</p>
<p>Instead, he wanders down to the communications room. Now that the crisis has been resolved, the lights are dimmed to a soft orange glow, dark shadows filling the hallway that dance across the walls as he walks. He can't shake a subtle feeling of wrongness, that there's something that's going to go wrong, or he's being watched.</p>
<p>With everything that's happened this morning, paranoia is not out of place.</p>
<p>His footsteps and the steady rumble of the engine are all that he hears.</p>
<p>He still has Wilbur's phone. He turns it over in his hands, thinking. When suddenly, no one is able to answer a phone call, there's only a few reasons he can think of. </p>
<p>They could all have broken their phones. Maybe a water tank fell over and they were all soaked in water, their devices shorting out. Techno would probably have enough time to react to throw his phone somewhere safe, though. He's smart like that. Always thinking ahead.</p>
<p>Absently, he dials Techno.</p>
<p>Nikki had said that the reception in the curtains district was shaky. It could be that the small group had ended up there… but there's no way that they wouldn't notice. Nikki wouldn't willingly go somewhere where she can’t keep in touch with him, not in the tense, life or death situation her shipmates were just in.</p>
<p>The call times out. He isn't given the option to leave a voicemail.<br/>
He tries again.</p>
<p>It's unlikely that they were distracted, or had their phones stolen. Realistically, either the problem is with <i>his</i> reception, or they're all hurt.</p>
<p>Which is why he's checking the comms room. It's where all the tech for connecting for long distance communications is kept, and will have in depth analyses of signal.</p>
<p>He stands at the door. It's not an automatic or sliding door like most of the other doors in the ship. Like the cockpit, communications can be locked from the inside with no bypass. The rooms are designed as such in case of a mutiny, with airtight seals and its own generators in a worst-case scenario. </p>
<p>He grips on the wheel-shaped handle and puts all his weight on the left side, the handle screeching as it rotates, the noise echoing down the corridor. It clunks open with another echo. He steps back and pulls on the handle, leaning back to force the heavy bulkhead to slowly swing open. </p>
<p>The room is dark, and a bit stuffy. He runs his hand down the wall to find the toggle and flips it. With a faint buzz, the old bulbs switch on, illuminating the room in harsh white. This room is the most untouched by the crew, since Wilbur bought the ship two years ago. Usually no one visits the room other than Wilbur, but Techno practically lives in here. The man has left little mark on the room, other than a few forgotten coffee cups and a laptop on the desk. There's also a large duffel bag leaning against a filing cabinet in the corner, but Tubbo isn't one to pry.</p>
<p>The call times out again.</p>
<p>He sits down at the desk, pushing Techno's laptop to the side to boot up the system computer. After a second, the screen flickers on. He enters his level three clearance code and it takes a second to load before he's let in.</p>
<p>Investigating whatever might be happening with Techno, Niki and Eret is not only an important task, but also something to keep his mind off of … </p>
<p>Tubbo opens the diagnostic program to evaluate the interstellar connection, activating it and prioritising Rigel and the Beta Hydrus system. Now he just has to wait.</p>
<p>Techno has set the computer's background as a photo of a sunset over a city that he doesn't recognise. It looks nice, but a bit bland, with primarily mid-twenty-seventh-century architecture that really has no personality. He taps his fingers against the desk in annoyance as he waits.</p>
<p>Eventually, the diagnostic is complete. It reads:</p>
<p>Connection: Orion &gt; RIGEL<br/>
&gt;Inbound : [ optimal ]<br/>
&gt;Outgoing : [ optimal ] </p>
<p>Connection: Hydrus &gt; BETA<br/>
&gt;Inbound : [ no connection ]<br/>
&gt;Outgoing : [ no connection ]</p>
<p>Connection: Central ring &gt; SOL<br/>
&gt;Inbound : [ insufficient ]<br/>
&gt;Outgoing : [ limited ]</p>
<p>The list continues on, but he doesn't bother scrolling down. He doesn't have much experience checking the connection, but even he can tell there's some kind of anomaly. It's very strange that the comms can't reach the Beta Hydrus system, so he retries. Nothing changes.</p>
<p>It's too early in the morning to use his brain properly to figure out if there's a pattern. The connection to the Rigel system is fine, though.</p>
<p>He opens Wilbur's phone to dial Eret again, but it rings for a few minutes before timing out.<br/>
Is there some kind of glitch with the surveyor program? He should try calling someone else, not on Rigel.</p>
<p>Wilbur doesn't have many contacts on his phone, most of them being the crew themselves. He sees a number that he doesn't recognise, and clicks it. </p>
<p>The phone dials, and the call is picked up.</p>
<p>"Wilbur!" a man cheerily answers, "Why the fuck are you calling me?"</p>
<p>"Uh, I'm not Wilbur. I'm one of his crew. Where are you right now?"</p>
<p>"Ha! Kid, I'm not telling you that. Why'd you call me?"</p>
<p>"I was just checking the connection… Can you do me a favour and try and call Technoblade for me?"</p>
<p>The man huffs. "You'll owe me."</p>
<p>Tubbo is put on hold for a few minutes. This guy has set up waiting music. It's jazz.<br/>
The call resumes.</p>
<p>"Couldn't reach him. I'm done here." The man says, and hangs up.</p>
<p>That's annoying. And concerning. </p>
<p>It's really frustrating being out in space. At this point, they're lightyears away, and there's nothing that he could do to help the others even if he did know what was wrong. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>A hand lands on his shoulder.</p>
<p>"<i>AAH!</i>" Tubbo shouts in surprise, jumping in his seat. He hurriedly spins in the chair to look over his shoulder to see … Fundy.</p>
<p>Dammit. </p>
<p>He was so caught off guard that it felt like an electric shock. The others may have relaxed after--<br/>
… but Tubbo still doesn't trust Fundy.</p>
<p>Fundy laughs, "Sorry man, just wanted to see what you were doing. Didn't realise you were deaf to the world."</p>
<p>Tubbo chuckles awkwardly. "I was just checking comms. And, yeah, didn't hear you come in."</p>
<p>Fundy looks around the cramped room, "I guessed. There's not much else to do in here. Are you in a call with anyone right now?"</p>
<p>Despite Tubbo's efforts to remain calm, he can feel his heartbeat speed up. It was a perfectly innocuous question, but that didn't stop his brain from thinking up every way that it could be used against him.</p>
<p>He's vulnerable right now.</p>
<p>Does he answer truthfully?<br/>
(Fundy isn't stupid. Tubbo isn't holding a phone, he's turned off the system computer. That would just alert Fundy that he's onto him. Probably.)</p>
<p>Act natural.</p>
<p>"… I'm on hold. With one of Wilbur's friends. - Or, at least I think he is!" Tubbo laughs awkwardly, "I'm pretty sure he started threatening me though."</p>
<p>Fundy's eyes drift to Wilbur's phone, screen strategically between Tubbo and the wall so he can't see the contacts list. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is ridiculous. Fundy's his friend.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(Tommy was, too)</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fundy smirks. "I don't think you are." He brightly turns around, grabs the bulkhead door and pulls it shut, yanking the deadbolt to lock it.<br/>
"It would be naïve to think that you haven't caught on to me."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo's stomach drops. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fundy's words sound muffled, Tubbo feels distant and too close all at once.</p>
<p>"I was a bit dumb, I admit, but I couldn't resist scaring you. After all, it's payback for everything you've done to me," he says, gesturing to the ears still glued to his head, "you're so obnoxious. This is something I've wanted to do for a long time."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo can't breathe. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He fumbles his left hand around the table, keeping his eyes on Fundy as he scrambles for something to defend himself with. His hand finds Techno's laptop.</p>
<p>Tubbo hurriedly holds the folded laptop against himself like a shield, leaping to his feet to back away and stand in the corner.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><i>Fuck fuck fuck! </i>

He's trapped.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"What are you doing, Fundy?" His voice wavers nervously, cracking a bit with unshed tears, "I really hope that this isn't what it looks like!" </p>
<p>Fundy pulls his knife out of his pocket, twisting it in his hand, walking towards Tubbo.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo backs away further and trips over Techno's duffel bag.</p>
<p>He stumbles and falls over.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Items spill out of the bag.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Oh look." Fundy laughs, picking something up. "Techno has a sword. How convenient."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo is paralysed in fear as Fundy unsheaths the weapon, pausing to examine the glittering steel. Fundy steps forward and, in one smooth motion, stabs Tubbo through the chest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>____</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo is woken by the blaring of alarms.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Connection: Orion &gt; BETELGEUSE : [ optimal ]<br/>Connection: Central ring &gt; PROXIMA CENTAURI : [ limited ]<br/>Connection: Carina &gt; MIAPLACIDUS : [ limited ]<br/>Connection: Achernar &gt; ALPHA : [ no connection ]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Roomies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>All he can do is lie there, staring at the ceiling, breathing heavily. Slowly, his frantic heartbeat returns to normal as he processes that he's safe.</p>
<p>It was just a dream. He's safe. Minx isn't dead, Tommy isn't a murderer. Fundy isn't a murderer.</p>
<p>The alarm continues to blast through the ship, so Tubbo reluctantly sits up and swings his legs over the edge of his bed.<br/>"WOAH!" Tommy exclaims, "You almost kicked me in the face!"</p>
<p>Mumbling an apology, Tubbo drops down to the floor. His jacket is draped over the back of his chair at his partially built desk. Where he left it. Because he hasn't touched it for a couple of days.</p>
<p>He pulls it on and checks the time. 2:15 am.</p>
<p>Tubbo pulls open the door, looking out into the hallway. Wilbur is already standing by a screen on the wall, reading through the information. </p>
<p>This is too familiar.</p>
<p>Tubbo stands at the doorway, not saying anything. Wilbur seems to come to a conclusion and shuts off the alarm, returning the ship to the normal, calm lighting.</p>
<p>"What's wrong?" Sparklez asks, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, "That was not a reassuring alarm."</p>
<p>"There's been a breach. In the starboard of the cargo bay." Wilbur answers, shutting off the screen. "It's probably nothing, but it's best if one or two people go check on it. We can probably leave repairs 'til morning."</p>
<p>What? Was it not a dream? Everything seems exactly the same… Did it actually happen?</p>
<p>
  <i>Fuck</i>
</p>
<p>He can't do this again.</p>
<p>Fundy appears from his own room, looking concerned. Tubbo can't help but stare at the man, inspecting his expression. He looks confused, but as he looks around, Fundy's eyes widen slightly, taking in every detail and looking more and more panicked.  He reaches to the top of his head, and he seems to come to some kind of realisation as touches the lopsided ears. "Oh no. Oh fuck. It was - <i>fuck.</i>"</p>
<p>Fundy looks very stressed. Tubbo is very stressed himself, because he's standing right in front of the man who murdered him.</p>
<p>He might do it again. </p>
<p>Does anyone else remember what happened?</p>
<p>"I'll go." Sparklez volunteers.</p>
<p>"NO!" Fundy interrupts. Wilbur gives him a strange look, and Fundy awkwardly smiles. "… wouldn't it make the most sense for someone who knows the ship really well to go?"</p>
<p>This is exactly what happened last time.</p>
<p>Scott nods awkwardly "That makes sense. Who wants to go with him?"</p>
<p>Before Scott is done talking, Tubbo grabs Tommy by the arm and drags him back into their room, closing the door behind him. </p>
<p>"What are you <i>doing,</i> Tubbo?" Tommy demands, yanking his arm out of Tubbo's grip. "I wanted to go."</p>
<p>
  <i>I know.</i>
</p>
<p>This is strange and scary and not something Tubbo has ever heard of. </p>
<p>But, he's been given the ability to change what happened, and the first step is stopping Tommy from attacking Minx.</p>
<p>"We're staying here. Just go back to sleep." Tubbo sighs, locking the door. </p>
<p>Tommy squints and seems to study his face, before shrugging and ducking under the bunk to lie down. "Whatever, big T." He turns over to face the wall. "… Small T."</p>
<p>This is amazing. A second chance. Maybe some kind of higher being gave him a prophetic dream, and now he can fix everything. </p>
<p>He has to make the most of this.</p>
<p>Tubbo takes in a deep breath. Okay, he just has to go over what he knows. First, the breach. Fundy and Tommy go and fix it. Then, the wires in oxygen are cut, probably by Fundy. Tommy kills Minx, and Fundy kills Tubbo in the communications room…</p>
<p>--wait! He can find out what happened to Techno, Niki and Eret! Maybe he can warn them to be careful, and then they'll be okay!</p>
<p>… He's getting ahead of himself. He has to make a plan. Tubbo nervously looks over to Tommy. His roommate probably isn't asleep yet, but seems close. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tommy is going to kill Minx. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>… But he can't if Tubbo doesn't let him out of the room.</p>
<p>He just needs to keep Tommy in here until the others deal with Fundy. He can do this.</p>
<p>He can do this.</p>
<p>Tubbo steps back to the door. The small screen displays that it is currently locked from the inside. All he has to do is alter the settings so that it's locked for everyone but him.</p>
<p>He can't do that from the outside, so he's trapping himself in the room with Tommy.</p>
<p>He glances around the room. It's longer than it is wide, with the bunks built into the wall. There isn't a window to look outside, but there's a screen set on the far side of the wall, their shared desk pushed against it. The drawers are opposite to the bunks, with little latches to stop them from flying open if the ship lurches. A beanbag sits in the corner.<br/>There isn't anything that could be realistically used as a weapon, not unless Tommy tries to hit him with the desk chair. <br/>(He pockets the pencil sitting on his desk, just to be safe.)</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>Tubbo doesn't fall back asleep. He is too on edge to relax. He has to stay alert.</p>
<p>He checks the time. 2:47 am.</p>
<p>If everything happens as it did last time, the alarms should start up again in…</p>
<p>On cue, the alarms sound. Tubbo doesn't sit up. No one is leaving this room.</p>
<p>In the bed below, Tommy grumbles in annoyance. "Another crisis? This is just irritating." Tubbo can hear the bunk shift as Tommy sits up and stands, yawning. "…Are you getting up, Tubbo?"</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>There' silence for a second. "… Okay…" Tommy says hesitantly, almost inaudible over the incessant noise of the alarm. <br/>Tubbo can only just hear Tommy's footsteps walk to the door, where they pause.<br/>"… Tubbo? Why the fuck did you lock the door?"</p>
<p>"The others can handle whatever the problem is. You don't need to bother going out to see what's wrong."</p>
<p>"Tubbo! What the fuck! It could be a real emergency, and we're just stuck in here!"</p>
<p>"It'll be fine." Tubbo stares at the clock. 2:48.</p>
<p>"Open the door."</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>"What the fuck! I'm calling Wilbur."<br/>The dialling tone sounds, and continues for a minute or two before timing out.</p>
<p>Tubbo tries not to think too much about that.</p>
<p>At 2:52, the alarm stops. Tommy rings Wilbur again. This time, the captain picks up. "<i>What is it, Tommy?</i>"</p>
<p>"Tubbo's not letting me out of our room."</p>
<p>There's a pause, as Wilbur seems to think. "<i>…That's probably a good idea. Can you and Tubbo stay there until I call you back?</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>What!?</i>" Tommy shouts, but Wilbur has already ended the call. He flips on the light, filling the room with homely yellow light. "What is going on?"</p>
<p>Tubbo finally sits up, sitting cross legged, leaning his cheek on the palm of his hand and looks down at Tommy. "Someone's sabotaging the ship -"</p>
<p>"What!?"</p>
<p>"- and they seem to want people dead." He says, looking pointedly at Tommy</p>
<p>Tommy just looks really, really confused.<br/>"How do you <i>know that?</i>"</p>
<p>Tubbo shrugs. "You'll be safe in here, anyway. No one's going to be able to get in. We just have to wait until the others have everything sorted and then we'll be fine. You're not getting out until I put the code in the door though." </p>
<p>He had expected Tommy to react differently than this. He's angry, of course, but shows no sort of violent tendencies. Was Tommy actually the one who had killed Minx, or had Wilbur lied to him? None of this makes any sense. Tommy could be pretending to be ignorant, but he's never been very good at acting.</p>
<p>Or, Tommy has learned how to lie, and is faking innocence until Tubbo trusts him and lets him out, then Tommy will murder him and run.</p>
<p>Tommy glares up at him and flops down onto the beanbag. "You're a bitch."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Calm Before the Monsoon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy is pointedly ignoring Tubbo. Tubbo is idly playing a game on his phone, and glances down to Tommy on the beanbag - he's always looking the other direction. Tommy seems pretty mad, but Tubbo has to stick to his plan.<br/>
Some awkwardness is worth <i>Minx's life</i>.</p>
<p>There's a knock on the door. "Are you boys alright?" Phil asks.</p>
<p>Tommy explodes. "<i>Tubbo</i> isn't letting me out of the fucking room! <i>What the fuck is going on</i>! Wilbur is siding with him and I don't know why! If Techno was - <i>if he was here</i> this wouldn't <i>fucking slide</i>. This is so unfunny it hurts."</p>
<p>"Uh, …okie. I'll talk to Wilbur about it." Tubbo knows that if he could see Phil, the man would have his eyebrows raised and would be majorly side-eyeing Tommy with that awkward frown he does. "So there's no way for me to just open the door."</p>
<p>"Nope!" Tubbo says, closing his phone. "We're staying in here."</p>
<p>"Okay… I'm going now, don't kill each other."</p>
<p>"Sure thing, Phil!" Tubbo chirps.</p>
<p>Tommy stands up and starts pacing around the room. As he passes the beanbag again, he kicks it. Tommy takes in a deep breath, "Tubbo."</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"Can you please explain why you're doing this."</p>
<p>" We can just stay in here until it's all sorted. Wilbur did say he'll call you back… It's still night time, there's no reason to go out anyway."<br/>
At this point, Tubbo is starting to feel a bit bad. Was he actually wrong? Did Tommy not have anything to do with Minx's death? His friend is upset at him, and Tubbo really doesn't like upsetting people.</p>
<p>Tubbo's phone rings. It's Niki. A video call, like last time.</p>
<p>"<i>Hi Tubbo! How are you going?</i>" </p>
<p>
  <i>Shit. Does this mean something happened to Minx anyway? Did Fundy attack her?</i>
</p>
<p>"Hey Niki! I'm alright, any reason why you're calling me?" Niki is in the market, Techno looking over her shoulder at the screen, holding a massive pile of fabric. Tubbo can tell that they're not quite in the same place as before, as they're surrounded by dozens of hanging plants that thrive under the bright light of Rigel.</p>
<p>Niki sighs. "<i>I called Minx to ask her about something, but she said she was busy and hung up on me. So we're just wandering around looking at tiles and things.</i>"</p>
<p>She holds a tile to the camera. It's marbled blue with glitter around the border. "<i>Do you like this one? We're trying to decide what to put in the cafeteria but Techno isn't agreeing with anything I choose.</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>Hey, I'm just saying that it's a bit too over the top.</i>" Techno says from behind the mountain of fabric in his arms that has somehow grown larger than it was a second ago - the top of his head is only just visible. "<i>If we choose something bold, it's going to be really hard to ignore if we end up hating it. We've gotta be practical here.</i>"</p>
<p>Niki turns the camera to a very long table stacked in various tile samples. Eret seems to be looking at his reflection in a bright purple tile, tilting it to see how the light changes. "<i>This has many things wrong with it.</i>" Eret mumbles to himself, "<i>Why are they selling this.</i>"</p>
<p>"I think Techno's right" Tubbo says after a second. "It's best if we choose something subtle, and then we can just make the rest of the cafeteria lively."</p>
<p>Niki sadly puts the glittering tile back on the table, stroking it longingly. "<i>Is Tommy with you right now? Minx said something about the two of you refusing to pull your weight.</i>"</p>
<p>Tubbo laughs awkwardly. The phone is on speaker, so Tommy has definitely been able to listen in on their conversation, but he hasn't said anything, just pacing around the room. "Tommy, do you want to help pick out the tiles?"</p>
<p>Tommy doesn't look impressed, but climbs up the ladder to join Tubbo on the top bunk, sitting so his legs hang of the edge, close enough to look at the screen but a bit awkwardly distanced from Tubbo. "…Is Techno there, Niki?"</p>
<p>Niki turns the camera back to herself.</p>
<p>"<i>Yeah, I'm here.</i>" The mass of fabric behind her replies. "<i>What do you want, kid?</i>"</p>
<p>"Tubbo isn't letting me out of our room." Tommy whines.</p>
<p>"<i>Ha. Loser. Tubbo's like half your size, you can take him.</i>" </p>
<p>
  <i>Not very reassuring, actually.</i>
</p>
<p>"<i>Can we get back to the tiles?</i>" Niki complains. "<i>We've been at this for about half an hour and we haven't gotten anywhere.</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>Actually, can we get a locker or something to put all this in first</i>?" Techno says. "<i>As much fun as this is, I can't see what's happening.</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>Sounds like a good idea.</i>" Eret agrees.</p>
<p>Techno makes a noise of agreement and walks directly into a plant hanging at head level, spilling some soil onto the fabric. Niki reaches up to brush the dirt off of the grey material, before looking down at her phone again. "<i>Well, there isn’t anything that we need you two for. Maybe call us back in fifteen minutes. Bye!</i>"</p>
<p>Niki hangs up, leaving Tubbo alone with Tommy. It's 3:29 am. </p>
<p>Tommy stands up and continues pacing.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>A knock on the door. "Hey guys, just checking to see if you're still alright." It's Phil again.</p>
<p>Tommy walks up to the door. "Have you spoken to Wilbur about letting me out yet?"</p>
<p>Phil coughs. "He, uh, said that you should just stay there. He's not overriding Tubbo's command."</p>
<p>"This is so frustrating! Just let me out Tubbo!" Tommy shouts, turning to actually look at Tubbo for the first time in half an hour. "I want to help!"</p>
<p>"No." Tubbo says again. As annoying as this may be to Tommy, he can't risk letting his friend out of his sight.</p>
<p>"…Well, I'll just leave you to it. If there's anything you need, call me." Phil says, and Tubbo can hear his footsteps fading away.</p>
<p>Tommy grabs his pillow from the lower bunk and screams into it in frustration.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>At 3:45, Tubbo calls Niki. For about thirty heart-wrenching seconds, there's no answer. When Niki accepts the video call, he gets a glimpse of her face before she blurs off-screen. The ground pitches close and far away again as Niki swings the phone while running.</p>
<p>"<i>Can't really talk right now, Tubbo!</i>" Niki shrieks.</p>
<p>"<i>There he is!</i>" Techno shouts somewhere in the distance.</p>
<p>"Niki! What's happening?" </p>
<p>"<i>Someone stole my purse! I had so much stuff in there!</i>" Niki holds the camera in front of her for a second so that Tubbo can see the laneway crowded with stalls, Eret pushing through the crowd of confused shoppers in pursuit of the thief.</p>
<p>"Can you call law enforcement of something?" Tubbo asks</p>
<p>"<i>No way! Everyone here is very corrupt.</i>" Niki collides her shoulder with someone, "<i>Sorry!</i>", stumbling and almost losing her balance, the camera lurching to show the blue-green sky filled with banners hanging off of the buildings lining the laneway, under looming skyscrapers and spacecraft. "<i>Also, there are some very illegal things in my purse.</i>"<br/>
"<i>I need to catch up with Eret and Techno, so I won't be able to talk!</i>" The screen goes dark as she shoves her phone into the pocket of her jacket.</p>
<p>Tubbo can only listen helplessly as Niki runs through the crowd.</p>
<p>He looks up and makes eye contact with Tommy, who's standing next to the bed and trying to see the screen. </p>
<p>A man screams.<br/>
Something shatters.<br/>
Niki swears.<br/>
A dog barks excitedly.</p>
<p>Gunfire.</p>
<p>
  <i>Oh shit.</i>
</p>
<p>He winces, and he sees Tommy's eyes widen.</p>
<p>Looks like there is very much a reason that none of them answered the phone last time.</p>
<p>Niki makes a panicked noise as the rest of the crowd shout in surprise at whatever is happening. </p>
<p>After another minute of agonising over imagining what the hell is going on, Niki stops running to catch her breath, and pulls her phone out of her pocket. "<i>Looks like I'm not going to be able to catch up. I think I made a wrong turn.</i>" She does her best to smooth out her hair, looking around for her friends. "<i>Yes, I am definitely lost.</i>"</p>
<p>"Can you tell us what happened, Niki?" Tommy asks.</p>
<p>Niki nods, continuing to survey the crowd over the camera "<i>We just rented the locker for what Techno was carrying - it was very expensive - and I put the key in my handbag. I was just holding it in one of my hands when a man ran past and grabbed it. Techno was still holding everything, so none of us even had time to react before the man disappeared. I think that there is also a group of bounty hunters chasing that man, I'm not sure though</i>."</p>
<p>There's an explosion, not very far away. Niki flinches and drops her phone into a puddle. Tubbo can see the water flood over the lens of the camera for a split second before her phone shorts out and the call ends.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter has significantly less angst, but it's still happening - you just don't get to see it</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Promises</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What happened?!" Tommy exclaims, "Is Niki alright?"</p><p>"Why would I know?" Tubbo runs his hands through his hair nervously.</p><p>Tommy rolls his eyes, "I dunno, because you've known everything else that's going on, why not this?"</p><p>"That was - uh…" Tubbo really doesn't have any explanation, does he?</p><p>"Call Techno."</p><p>"I don't think that's a good idea, what if we distract him?" As much as Tubbo would like to be back in the loop with his planetside friends, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if someone got hurt because they tried to answer his phone call.</p><p>"Then what do you propose we do, huh? Just sit here while our friends get hurt, and we'll never know? We either call him now, or it'll be too late."</p><p>Tubbo really doesn't know what to do here. Last time, Techno did never answer. If everything is the same, something will end up happening to him anyway…</p><p>"I still don't think that's a good idea - what if calling him is what gets him killed? Techno is very capable, but if his attention is divided it might not … go so well."</p><p>Tommy frowns, but seems to accept defeat. </p><p>They're back to waiting.</p><p>"… Techno would probably call us if he gets the chance to. There's no way that he doesn't know you'll be worried."</p><p>Tommy shrugs, but doesn't look reassured.</p><p>Tubbo checks the time again. 3:59 am. The others would probably have made some progress with figuring out who the saboteur is, right? Would it be a good idea to call someone?</p><p>Or, to gauge the situation he could just text everyone. More time efficient, and if there's someone who <i>needs</i> calling, he'll figure it out.</p><p>He texts Wilbur, Phil, Scott and Minx the same message: "How's everything going?"</p><p>It takes a minute or too for anyone to reply. </p><p>Phil: <i>we're ok.</i><br/>
Phil: <i>you can probably come out now.</i></p><p>Tubbo: <i>have you figured out who the saboteur is?</i></p><p>Phil: <i>what?</i></p><p>Tubbo: <i>who disabled the oxygen</i></p><p>Phil:<i> I didn't know you boys knew what's happening</i><br/>
Phil: <i>didn't think wilbur would want to tell you about that</i><br/>
Phil: <i>it was sparklez and callum. we've got them in the brig.</i></p><p>What? That doesn't make sense. Sparkelz? The man seemed completely innocent - and what about Fundy? Do none of them know?</p><p>Oh god, he should have just told them it's Fundy. Fundy could have already done something and everyone's completely clueless… someone could be dead without Phil even knowing.<br/>
No no no no -</p><p>"- Tubbo? Are you alright?" Tommy's voice breaks through his panic, and he feels Tommy's hands on his shoulders, grounding him, "What's going on?"</p><p>He brushes Tommy off of him and wordlessly hands him his phone. He sits and hugs his legs.<br/>
Okay.<br/>
There's no use freaking out, he just needs to make a new plan.<br/>
(it was pretty dumb to think that the others would be able to figure Fundy out without anyone getting hurt.)<br/>
New plan…</p><p>"I don't get it, Tubbo. What's wrong with this? Everything is fine isn't it?"</p><p>"…It's not, because I <i>know</i> that Sparklez is innocent. There's no way that it's him - and if it is, it's also Scott…"</p><p>"What? Look, Tubbo, you've been acting really weird today. What's wrong?"</p><p>Tubbo laughs bitterly. "Everything."</p><p>"Alright, but how do we fix it?"</p><p>Tubbo rests his chin on his knees, "it’s probably too late. But text Phil that it's actually Fundy."</p><p>"Fundy? Why would he - how would you know?"</p><p>"I just do. <i>Text Phil</i>."</p><p>"…If you say so. But I just think that it can't be Fundy, why would he want to kill anyone?"</p><p>"<i>I don't know!</i>"</p><p>The two sit in silence for a while. Tubbo's phone doesn't buzz with any new messages. Eventually he's pulled himself together enough that he can take his phone back. No one other than Phil has even read his texts. He drops down from the bunk and starts pacing nervously, a mirror of him and Tommy just an hour or so ago. Still on the bunk, Tommy fidgets with the hem of his sleeve.</p><p> </p><p>The alarms start up again. It's agonising not knowing what’s going on, he's so tempted to just unlock the door and help everyone - this whole plan was a complete failure.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, Tubbo's phone rings. A call from Wilbur.<br/>
Nerves eating at him, Tubbo answers, holding it to his ear.</p><p>"<i>H-hey Tubbo, how're you and Tommy doing?</i>" Wilbur sounds strangely breathless, as if he's run a marathon or done some heavy lifting.</p><p>"We're still in our room - listen, I know who the saboteur is - it's Fundy, you've gotta-"</p><p>"<i>Fundy? That - </i>nngh<i> - that makes sense…</i>"</p><p>"Wilbur! Are you hurt?" Tubbo gasps. Tommy immediately sits up and stares. The two make eye contact. Tubbo can see the fear on Tommy's face, and he's sure that Tommy can see his fear too.</p><p>"<i>Don't worry about me. I've locked myself in the cockpit, I'll be fine. Listen - don't leave your room.</i>"</p><p>"But -"</p><p>"- <i>Keep the door locked and don't let anyone in. Promise me.</i>"</p><p>"What happened? Are you going to need medical attention? I can call Phil - "</p><p>"<i> Phil's the one who fucking stabbed me!</i>" Wilbur shouts, "<i>Just below the ribs. I've been putting pressure on it, don't worry, I'll be fine.</i>"</p><p>Tommy snatches the phone from Tubbo's shaking hands, having jumped down from the bunk without him noticing, "Wilbur, don't you dare die on me. The crew needs you."</p><p>"<i>Everyone's already dead, Tommy. We're the only ones left.</i>"</p><p>"<i>I</i> need you, Wilbur!" </p><p>Tubbo has really messed up. Somehow, given a second chance, he's just made everything worse. Now Minx is dead anyway, as well as everyone else. Wilbur's dying.</p><p> </p><p>The only difference is Tubbo is alive. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Wilbur coughs too harshly, for too long, "<i>I'm not dying, Tommy.<br/>
"…They've taken out the oxygen again. You two are the ones who are in danger, since the cockpit has its own generator. I'm redirecting the ship to the nearest planet - if we're lucky, we'll make it before you run out of air.</i>"</p><p>Tubbo's eyes fill with tears, but he doesn't let them fall. This is all his fault, he just has to deal with his mistakes. Everyone is dead because of him, and he's going to die, too.</p><p>"So what do we do?"</p><p>"<i>Don't leave your room. The only thing protecting you right now is that door - this isn't the Phil you know. He … didn't hesitate.</i>" </p><p>Wilbur starts coughing again. It's an unpleasant sound.</p><p>"<i>Some captain I am. My pilot, who I thought I could trust to the edge of the universe and back, betrays me and kills my entire crew. You're all I have left.</i>"</p><p>"Don't say that - you couldn't have known. None of us knew!" Tommy cries.</p><p>Tubbo wipes the unshed tears from his eyes. He needs to stay strong. For Tommy.</p><p>"<i>Stay calm, it'll preserve your oxygen. Try and get some sleep, I'll handle everything.</i>"</p><p>"Wilbur -"</p><p>"<i>Promise me you won't open the door</i>." Wilbur pleads.</p><p>"But -"</p><p>"<i>Please.</i>"</p><p>"… I promise." Tommy sighs.</p><p>Wilbur exhales. "<i>If this goes south … I love you Tommy, Tubbo.</i>"</p><p>Tommy's voice cracks. "We love you too."</p><p>Wilbur hangs up.</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo can't bring himself to look at Tommy. This is all his fault. He blamed Tommy and created his entire plan around keeping him contained, but he just condemned everyone to death.</p><p> </p><p>The alarm continues to echo through the ship.</p><p> </p><p>____</p><p> </p><p>There's a knock at the door. "Boys, it's safe for you to come out now." It's Phil.</p><p> </p><p>Chances are, he's holding a knife behind his back. Maybe even Techno's sword, if Phil knows it exists.</p><p> </p><p>"We know it's you. You killed everyone." Tommy states emotionlessly.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Wilbur called us." Tommy turns away from the door and sits on the bottom bunk. "He told us everything."</p><p>"What - Wilbur's lying! I don't know what's happened to him, but you don't trust me? Your 'Dadza'?</p><p>"We're not opening the door. Just go away."</p><p>There's no response. Tubbo climbs back up to his bunk, lying down and wrapping his blanket around himself. He stares up at the ceiling. At some point, he stuck glow in the dark stars above his bed, but they had all fallen down, leaving just the faint outline of the shitty glue, like the ghosts of stars.</p><p>He closes his eyes, but the alarms cut through his head and the red light still glares through his eyelids. He rolls over and pulls the blanket over his head.</p><p>____</p><p> </p><p>Faintly, he hears: "<i>Caution. Opening both airlock doors will result in complete atmospheric exchange. Security clearance level two is required to perform this action.</i>"</p><p> </p><p>He bolts upright. <i>Shit</i>. Phil has level two clearance. </p><p> </p><p>"Tommy!" He screams, sliding off his bed, "Phil's opening the airlock! We need to seal the vents!"</p><p>Tommy rolls out of bed, standing to run to the small vent in the corner of the ceiling. He climbs up onto the desk to reach the vent to shut it off.</p><p>Tubbo runs to the door. It's not airtight - he has to seal it somehow. The superglue! He pulls the tube from the pocket of his jacket (still draped over his chair), squeezing it on the small seam between the door and the wall. He hopes that there's enough. He squeezes the glue all around the door, once, then twice, then until the tube is empty and his hands hurt. He shoves spare T-shirts against the bottom of the door.<br/>
He hears airlock door open, and after about thirty seconds, it closes again.</p><p>"I don't understand." Tommy says. "Why is he doing this? Wouldn't cutting off the oxygen kill him too?"</p><p>"I don't think he cares."</p><p>With nothing left to do, Tubbo climbs back into bed. There's no way he's going to be able to sleep.</p><p> </p><p>____</p><p> </p><p>The alarms are still going when he wakes up. He rolls over to face to wall, trying not to think too hard about anything. Breathe carefully, don't waste air, get back to sleep.</p><p>They might make it.</p><p>Might.</p><p>He hears Tommy in the bunk below him moving, and the creaking of the bed as he stands up. </p><p>"What are you doing, Tommy?"</p><p>"What? There's an emergency - I'm going to help!"</p><p>"Did you forget what Wilbur said? We have to stay in here."</p><p>"Tubbo, I don't know what you're talking about." Tommy says, and opens the door.</p><p><i>Fuck</i> - what's gotten into Tommy? Tubbo leaps out of bed to follow, running out of their room and into the corridor to see-</p><p>Wilbur. Fundy. Scott. </p><p>Exactly how they were before, Wilbur standing by the screen, Scott still halfway in his room, his shoulders wrapped in a blanket.</p><p>Fundy, just like before, touches the fox ears glued to his hair. ""Oh no. Oh fuck. It was - <i>fuck.</i>"</p><p>Tommy shouldn't have even been able to open the door - Tubbo locked it with <i>his</i> code, which Tommy doesn't know.</p><p>He almost collapses with relief. </p><p> </p><p>Time has been reset somehow.</p><p> </p><p>He can fix his mistakes.</p><p> </p><p>He can save everyone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Tubbo, to himself: oh man I hope I didn't die in my sleep, let's not think about that</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Just Chatting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tubbo takes in a deep breath.<br/>
Inhale.<br/>
Exhale.</p><p>"I'll go." Sparklez volunteers.</p><p>"No!" Fundy interrupts, just like last time. "…Wouldn't it make the most sense for someone who knows the ship really well to go?"</p><p>This time, Tubbo butts in. "Does anyone even need to? Like Wilbur said, it's nothing. We can leave it until everyone is awake enough to work rationally."</p><p>Wilbur nods. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea."</p><p>Tubbo pays special attention to Phil and Fundy. Fundy doesn't look annoyed about his idea being shot down, just holds himself uncomfortably, glancing around.</p><p>Phil just looks tired. He notices Tubbo staring, gives him an awkward wave and walks back down the hallway to his room.</p><p>Everyone seems to take this as a cue to go back to bed. Tubbo doesn’t think he can possibly get to sleep, so upon entering his and Tommy's room, sits at the desk and opens a notebook. There's too many thoughts buzzing around in his head, he needs to get them down on paper so he can organise himself. He flips to a blank page and writes down what he knows, which isn't much. </p><p>What he does know is that Fundy killed him, and in the next loop Phil killed everyone.</p><p>This is frustrating. What motive could they possibly have? Phil is a good man, a father figure to Wilbur and Tommy, why would he ever attack anyone?</p><p>What does he know that nobody else does? There's a sword in the comms room, the comms are acting strange… he learned Sparklez's name, even though they've never been introduced in this timeline.</p><p>He's so focused on his thoughts that he doesn't notice Tommy get up and stand behind him. "What are you doing, Tubbo?"</p><p>Startled, Tubbo slams the book shut and spins around in his chair, still holding the book against the table in case Tommy tries to grab it. "Not much." He says as normally as he can.</p><p>Tommy doesn't look impressed, but he doesn't push for information. "I don't think that anyone is going to be able to fall back to sleep, do you wanna walk around the ship with me?"</p><p>"Sure." It would probably be helpful, clear his head to just wander for a bit. He checks the time. They've been up for about twenty minutes. The hallway is empty, most of the doors closed. Tubbo can see that the door to Eret and Fundy's room, next to their own, is open the slightest bit. He glances inside to see that the room is… empty.</p><p>Fundy's disappeared to somewhere else on the ship. He could be sabotaging the oxygen <i>right now</i>. If Tubbo can catch him in the act…</p><p>Tubbo grabs Tommy by the wrist and drags him to the ladder to the deck below. "Tubbo, I don't need you holding my hand." Tommy complains</p><p>"Oh, sorry." Tubbo says and lets go. </p><p>He climbs down the ladder.  The central floor is much darker than the living quarters above, feeling very intimidating. The night lights are very dim to reserve power, but small lights line the intersection between the walls and floor so that people can still navigate around the room without having to turn on the main lights. As he waits for Tommy to follow him down, Tubbo looks out of the cafeteria windows at the inky black void, punctured by tiny stars, so far away that he can't even tell the ship is moving. </p><p>Tommy skips the last rung, dropping to the ground. Tubbo starts walking to the oxygen generator, trusting that Tommy will follow.</p><p>"…How much do you know about Phil?" He asks.</p><p>Tommy looks at him for a second, before shrugging. "I dunno. I think he said he was born on Mars? Wilbur and I lived with him and his sister for a couple of years before we bought the ship. I'm pretty sure he has a woman?"</p><p>…Not very useful information. If Phil has ever done something sketchy in the past, Tommy wouldn't know. Phil's been living with Wilbur and Tommy for a very long time, why would he spontaneously crack and try to kill them?</p><p>"Why do you ask?"</p><p>"I'm in a time loop." Tubbo responds without thinking. Tommy stops walking, staring at him.</p><p>"What? You mean, you're repeating the same thing?" Tommy says in disbelief.</p><p>"Yeah. I keep living today over and over again. Do you have a codeword or phrase for this kind of thing?"</p><p>"Nah. But I bet Techno does." Tommy says, kicking at the floor. "So, like, you're <i>actually in a time loop?</i> This isn't some kind of lame Tubbo prank?"</p><p>Tubbo sighs. "Yes, I'm really in a time loop. I don't know how, or why, but I do know that people on this ship are going to die."</p><p>Tommy laughs awkwardly. "That doesn't sound good. What's going to happen?"</p><p>"I've only had two loops - this is my third - but things keep happening differently. But, Fundy killed me, and Phil stabbed Wilbur."</p><p>Tommy stares wide eyed at him. "Are you sure? Why would they - I…"</p><p>"I don't know."</p><p>Tubbo turns away and keeps walking down the corridor. </p><p>Tommy speedwalks to catch up and walk alongside him. "Can you tell me everything that happened?"</p><p>"It's not much of a fun story. In the first loop, Fundy was acting really suspicious, but Wilbur made a buddy system and I was paired up with Fundy. The first chance he got, he killed me." Tubbo's voice is wavering a little as he speaks, and the world blurs a little bit.</p><p>Tommy wraps his arm around Tubbo's shoulders. "… Are you okay?" </p><p>"Not really. But it never happened, really. I don't have a scar or anything."</p><p>"That doesn't matter - just because no one else remembers it doesn't mean it didn't hurt."</p><p>"… in that loop, Minx was killed, too. Scott said that he saw you do it, so in the next loop -"</p><p>"Why would I kill Minx? She's annoying but-"</p><p>"- in the next loop I locked us in our room just in case it <i>was</i> you. I don't know what happened out there, but I'm pretty sure a lot of people died? Wilbur called after he got stabbed … I'm pretty sure he was dying, but he insisted he was fine… Phil turned off the oxygen and opened the airlock … I think the loop resets when I… die."</p><p>"Oh… "</p><p>Tubbo shrugs Tommy's arm off him. The oxygen room is empty, with no sign of anyone being here recently. He has two options - wait here and stop Fundy from ever cutting the wires (but keeping everyone in the dark about there being a crisis) or leave and come back later.</p><p>"You know, I think this is really something you should tell Wilbur. He'd know what to do." Tommy scratches at his neck nervously. "This is really important, isn't it?"</p><p>"I mean, I probably should, but… I don't know, I don't think he'll believe me."</p><p>The two leave the room and walk back down the corridor to return to the top deck. "I believe you, Tubbo. Wilbur trusts my judgement, doesn't he?"</p><p>Tubbo can't really agree, but Wilbur would probably trust Tommy when it's actually about something important. </p><p>One of the passengers is in the cafeteria, drinking from a mug. She notices them and looks up. "Oh, hey, what are you doing up?"</p><p>Tubbo runs a hand through his hair. "We were just going on a walk, checking up on some things. Sorry, I don't think I ever got your name."</p><p>The woman smiles. "I'm Sylvee."</p><p>"Nice to meet you, I'm Tubbo and this is Tommy" in the back of his mind, he thinks about that if this timeline goes like the other ones, telling anyone his name is pretty damn useless. But that's not going to be a problem, because he's not gonna die this time. </p><p>He climbs the ladder back up to the top deck. The hallway is the same as it when they left. He knocks on Wilbur's door. "Wilbur? Are you awake?"</p><p>Tommy stands next to him. "Wilbur! Wake up!" he shouts, banging on the door. There isn't a response.</p><p>"What's going on?" </p><p>Tubbo turns around at Phil's voice - he had opened his door and is leaning against the frame tiredly looking at them. "Why're you being so <i>loud</i>."</p><p>"Sorry, we just want to wake Wilbur up." Tommy says nervously.</p><p>"There's no way he's asleep with the two of you making that racket." Phil groans, rubbing at his head. He walks past them and opens Wilbur's door. It slides open to show… "See, he isn't even here. Go find him if you really want to talk to him." Phil closes the door and retreats into his own room, closing the door behind him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Missing Persons</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>!!READ THIS!!<br/>This chapter was posted the same day as chapter 9, so make sure you don't accidentally skip that!</p><p>Maybe leave an interesting comment on both chapters to encourage me to do more double updates ;)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The cargo bay is a really large room, the lowest deck of the ship (excluding the small, claustrophobic maintenance corridors that Tubbo <i>really</i> hates). It looks mostly empty, with a couple of shipping containers and larger crates sitting in the middle of the room. </p><p>On either side of the cargo bay are doors leading to various storage rooms, as well as airlocks, the water tanks and the brig. A couple of metres to the right of the airlock, just next to the trash compactor, a grey rock is wedged in the wall. </p><p>The rock is probably what caused the breach, but is has stuck in the hole that it made, stopping any air from escaping. A single strip of reinforcement tape is stretched across it, as if someone started covering it in case gaps appear, but gave up. The roll of tape is sitting by the largest airlock door, probably having rolled over there.</p><p>Tubbo checks the food storage room, and then the equipment. The rooms are empty of any Wilburs. </p><p>Tubbo doesn't actually have the clearance to open the door to the equipment storage room, since the room doesn't only hold spare blankets and space suits, but also weapons. He looks in through the window. He hardly knows what should be in here, so he can't tell if any of the guns are missing. The only one with the clearance to open this door is Wilbur himself.</p><p>He checks the escape pods next, but they're also empty. Wilbur isn't here, so he's probably in the security room. He's as attached to that room as Techno is to comms.</p><p>While he's here, he should probably help cover up the breach. Tubbo walks back to pick up the tape. He sticks the end to the wall next to the meteor, and pulls the roll of tape across to make an "x" of tape with the tape already across it. After firmly making sure it's secure, he repeats the process until he's certain that even if the rock is hit by one of the shipping containers slamming against it, nothing will come loose.</p><p>Who was down here before, and just left the job unfinished?</p><p>Then, the alarms start up again.</p><p>After last time, there's no way that he's just going to be able to leave this to someone else to solve - so he races up the ladder and into the storage room above. </p><p>He quickly pulls the door to the hallway open and runs to the oxygen room. As he runs, he pats his pocket to make sure that he still has his tube of superglue.</p><p>Someone turns all the main lights on, and he flinches at the sudden brightness but doesn't stop running.</p><p>He almost trips over the slight difference in the floor height into the oxygen room. He stumbles into the room, waving his arms wildly as he rights himself. Just like last time, there isn't anything visibly wrong with the generator, so he drops to his knees to pull the panel off to look at the wiring. </p><p>Nothing looks wrong. </p><p>He carefully pushes the wires to the side to look at the ones at the back, but everything is connected as it should be. </p><p>Fuck, the problem isn't with the oxygen.</p><p>He sits back for a second, thinking as he catches his breath. If not the oxygen, then it's probably and issue with the engines, or another breach. He picks the panel back up and sets it back in place.</p><p>He pulls himself to his feet. It would probably be wisest to go to the cafeteria before checking anywhere else so that he doesn't waste his time running around the ship.</p><p>The only person in the cafeteria is Sylvee, who apparently hadn't left the room. "What's going on?" He asks.</p><p>"Something is wrong with the reactor, I think." She says, sounding scared. He hardly envies her, being stuck on a ship that you don't know, filled with strangers, would only make this whole situation worse.</p><p>"Thanks" he says over his shoulder, already running across the cafeteria to the back of the ship. </p><p>Just as he reaches the portside engine, the alarm shuts off. He stops running and breathes a sigh of relief. The others probably stopped a major radioactive meltdown, or even an explosion.</p><p>After pausing to catch his breath, Tubbo keeps walking past the engine and into the reactor room. He sees Phil, Wilbur and Minx, as well as Sparklez, who is awkwardly standing against a wall. </p><p>(Tubbo relaxes to see that Wilbur is still alive…)</p><p>"What happened?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>"I think someone messed with the reactor" Wilbur says. "I was in security, so I got here pretty quick, just had to wait for Phil to come and help reset it to the normal settings."</p><p>As a safety precaution, the reactor can only have its settings changed by two different people at different terminals, to stop someone from accidentally bumping a setting.<br/>
If the reactor had its settings changed, then that means that two people had to be responsible.</p><p>Phil's already here, but didn't Wilbur say that he had to wait for Phil to show up? Fundy isn't in the room. It's possible that the two sabotaged the system, left the room and Phil circled back, but it's unlikely that they both could have run off without Wilbur seeing them in the corridor. </p><p>Phil clears his throat. "Yeah, this isn't something that just happens on its own, as terrible as it is, I think that someone did this on purpose. But we don't really have any way of knowing who right now, so just keep an eye out." Phil sends a meaningful look to Tubbo. Tubbo doesn't know what Phil's thinking but this feels like a threat.</p><p>Tommy still hasn't shown up. Tubbo slightly backs up out of the room to look down the corridor, which is completely empty. He nods to the group in the reactor room before turning and leaving. Tommy is probably in cafeteria.</p><p>When he gets to the cafeteria, the only people there are the three passengers and Fundy. They all look to him for explanation of what's going on, so he simply repeats what Phil told him. He aches to tell them about his time loop, but that would probably just make Fundy target him. </p><p>Tubbo trusts Sparklez, he seems like a very genuine man, and he's strong, but Fundy is cunning. There's no way that this group would be able to constantly protect him from Fundy.</p><p>After his explanation, the group all look very distressed, Sylvee repeatedly adjusting her glasses. </p><p>"Do any of you know where Tommy is? Or Scott?" Tubbo asks, realising that Scott is also absent. </p><p>Fundy looks even more worried. "Scott? He was in cafeteria with us for a bit, and then he left to help stop the emergency. Did he never actually show up in reactor?"</p><p>"He wasn't there when I got there. Maybe he arrived before I did, and then left?"</p><p>No one looks very reassured. "We should probably look for him, just in case." Sparklez says.</p><p>Tubbo's already turned to leave. He walks to admin, looking in to see the room is empty. </p><p>Oh wait, he never ended up talking to Wilbur about his time loop. If he sees him again he probably should, so long as Fundy and Phil aren't anywhere near. </p><p>Sparklez joins him at the doorway to admin, looking over his head at the room. "I don't know this ship very well, kid, so I'll just follow you. I won't be very helpful if I just get lost."</p><p>Tubbo nods, and continues down the hallway to the storage room. The room is mostly devoted to supplies for the engine, the majority of the space taken up by drums of fuel. He checks around a large tank just in case someone's been murdered, their body stashed in the pile. A bit morbid, but a legitimate worry.<br/>
There isn't anyone in storage. He looks down the ladder to the cargo bay. Nothing looks different from this angle - if he can't find them he'll check the cargo bay properly. </p><p>"Isn’t this a bit overkill?" Sparklez asks.</p><p>"Not really. It's not… safe on the ship right now. Something could have happened to Scott." Something <i>probably</i> happened to Scott.</p><p>Next stop is electrical. Tubbo opens the door, revealing a dark, dusty room. While he is looking for the light switch, Sparklez explores deeper into the room. </p><p>His hand hits the toggle and he switches the lights on. "Oh god." Sparklez says.</p><p>Tubbo turns to look at Sparklez, who is half hidden by the wall of electronics. </p><p> </p><p>There's a thick smear of blood leading from the doorway further into the room.</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo is frozen in place. </p><p>"Oh god." Sparklez says again.</p><p>The man disappears behind the wall, and there is silence for a second. </p><p> </p><p>"… No pulse. They're both dead."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Missing People</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Shaking, Tubbo takes a step back. His shoes squeak as he moves. </p>
<p>…Sticky with fresh blood.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The trail is an uneven smear, smudged in places, as if they were murdered at the entrance and then roughly dragged behind the wall.</p>
<p>Tubbo can't bring himself to look around the wall at the bodies, his gut twisting and a deep dread in the back of his throat. </p>
<p>"I'm getting everyone else." He finally says before fleeing from the scene. </p>
<p>____</p>
<p>Everyone else is just standing in the cafeteria, mid conversation. Tubbo runs into the room, grabs Wilbur in a hug and buries his face in his shoulder, heaving with sobs.</p>
<p>Careful hands reach down to reassuringly rub him on the back. "Tubbo? What's wrong?"</p>
<p>Hot tears pour down Tubbo's face and soak into Wilbur's shirt. Tubbo can't breathe properly, wheezing as he tries to calm with breathing to speak. "I - They -"</p>
<p>"Hey, it's going to be okay." Wilbur murmurs. </p>
<p>It's really not going to be okay. He told Tommy and now he's fucking dead. </p>
<p>He probably tried to confront Phil or Fundy and got himself killed.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>Tubbo sits at one of the tables in cafeteria. At some point, Phil had disappeared and returned with a blanket, handing it to Minx to wrap it around Tubbo. He's sitting at the furthest table from the corridors into the rest of the ship. His tears are long gone. </p>
<p>Sylvee and the other passenger sit silently at another table.</p>
<p>"Here." Minx says, placing a mug of hot chocolate in front of Tubbo. She sits down next to him, wrapping her hands around her own mug. </p>
<p>The two sit and watch the steam rise from their drinks. </p>
<p>They don’t really have a system for dealing with bodies, so the group had decided to take them both to medbay so they're at least not lying on the floor. Tubbo wasn't allowed to help.</p>
<p>Not that he wants to.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>After a few minutes, Fundy, Wilbur, Sparklez and Phil return. Sylvee and the other passenger (was his name Cody?) stand to join them around the centre table. Tubbo and Minx don't move. </p>
<p>"Where has everyone been for the last hour?" Wilbur asks the group. "I was in security, but I never saw anything happen."</p>
<p>"I was in my room, and then I went to reactor." Phil says. "I saw Sylvee in cafeteria, and Wilbur was already in reactor."</p>
<p>Sylvee nods. "Yeah, I've been in here for almost the whole time. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I came down here about twenty-five minutes after the first alarm went off."</p>
<p>Wilbur turns to her. "Who have you seen?"</p>
<p>She adjusts her glasses. "Uh, there wasn't anyone here when I came down. Tubbo and Tommy were already on this floor, and were looking for you. They both went down the ladder, but Tubbo came back … ten minutes before Tommy did. He went down that corridor." She points to the middle doorway leading to storage. "And then everyone else came down the ladder when the alarms went off. Scott went the same way as Tommy while Phil and Sparklez both went the other way."</p>
<p>"So the only ones that could have been down here before the alarms went off were Wilbur, Tommy and Tubbo?" Phil asks.</p>
<p>Sylvee nods. "Yeah. Oh! Actually, CPK was down here too! He came in from the storage corridor when the alarms went."</p>
<p>"So the only ones who could have done it were Wilbur, Tubbo and Callum." Fundy concludes, glancing cautiously over to Tubbo. They make eye contact but Fundy quickly looks away.</p>
<p>"Unless they were killed <i>after</i>, we dealt with the reactor. Or even while it happened." Wilbur interrupts.</p>
<p>"Callum." Phil says. "What were you doing?" </p>
<p>Callum is the most suspicious, not being a member of the crew and being pretty close to the crime scene. But Tubbo knows that it has to be Phil or Fundy, even though it makes no sense with Sylvee's story. Neither of them were even on this deck when it happened, but Tubbo knows … from experience… that they're the murderers.</p>
<p>Could they have snuck past her without her noticing? The cafeteria is very large, with multiple entrances. If Fundy was down here before she got to the cafeteria, he could have quietly walked past her, maybe clinging to the walls, gone up to the top deck to climb back down when the alarms went off. It makes a good alibi, because it sounds pretty impossible.</p>
<p>There's no way that he's mistaken. The only explanation for this is that there's <i>another</i> person who wants to kill them all as well as Phil and Fundy. </p>
<p>This is all just too much. He buries his head in his hands. Minx pats him on the shoulder in an attempt at comfort.</p>
<p>"Can anyone here vouch for Callum?" Wilbur announces.</p>
<p>There's silence.</p>
<p>"I didn't kill them! I was just in the admin room, Sylvee would have seen me turn into the corridor if she was looking! Why would I kill them?" CPK defends.</p>
<p>Phil inches away from him "Why would anyone? We don't know anything about you. You're the one closest to Scott and Tommy, you don't have any attachment to either of them."</p>
<p>For all anyone knows, CPK could be a serial killer, and everyone's thinking it.</p>
<p>"We shouldn't do anything drastic." Phil says. "Most likely it's him, but we don't know for sure. We should probably lock him in the brig just in case, so he can't - so he can't hurt anyone else."</p>
<p>"Any objections?" Wilbur asks the room.</p>
<p>Everyone around the table shakes their heads. "I have many objections!" Callum shouts. "Because I'm completely innocent! I don't even know where electrical is!"</p>
<p>Phil grabs the man by his arm and together with Sparklez, drags him out of the room, CPK shouting protests the whole time.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>Nobody is particularly relaxed even though they're sure that they've found the murderer. This is so, so different to last time that any knowledge Tubbo has is completely useless. Completely different people are dead, and people Tubbo hadn't even thought of are now suspicious. </p>
<p>He doesn't understand.</p>
<p>He wishes Tommy was here, he could help him make sense of all of this.</p>
<p>Tommy's dead, but no one has ever <i>stayed</i> dead. If Tubbo can just reset the loop, be can save him, and Scott too. But, before he does anything extreme, he needs to gather as much information as he can. </p>
<p>And so, he waits. </p>
<p>He's managed to escape Minx's supervision and is now in security. He pulls up a tab of short-term archived footage, checking through the ship just a few minutes before he and Tommy split up to look for Wilbur. At 3:46, CPK climbs down the ladder into the cafeteria. Sylvee waves to him, and he goes through the central corridor, as she said. He clicks to the next camera down the hallway, seeing CPK walk to the middle of the shot and disappear. </p>
<p>What?</p>
<p>He rolls back the footage by five seconds. CPK appears in the hallway, then disappears again. Tubbo checks the camera in admin, but the room is empty. </p>
<p>He sets the footage back again, and switches to the cargo bay. The camera is pointed at the crates, but he sees himself standing in the corner of the shot, looking at the meteor, before he vanishes, too.</p>
<p>He sets the footage back again and checks the timestamp. 3:15. He plays the video again, and the Tubbo on the screen blinks out of existence as expected. The timestamp is suddenly at 3:46. <br/>An chunk of recording has disappeared.</p>
<p>Was it deleted? </p>
<p>Who would delete evidence of the murderer? Why?</p>
<p>Wasn't Wilbur in security for practically the whole time?</p>
<p>It had to be him. </p>
<p>None of this makes any sense. This is only covering up information - their captain would have no reason to actively work against an investigation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Unless he was involved…</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>A scream rings through the ship.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>wow! a surprise early update :0</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Three Mutineers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tubbo follows the sound of yelling to Shields. When he arrives, he sees Wilbur and Minx loudly arguing with each other over… Sylvee's dead body.</p><p>"No! I <i>just</i> got here! I'm just as surprised as you!" Wilbur holds his hands in the air in front of himself defensively.</p><p>"Ha! I'd believe you if I didn't <i>fooking</i> see you standing over her body, just <i>staring at her!</i>"</p><p>"No - I -"</p><p>"You've been really fooking suspicious, you know that? Nobody's seen you, and you were in security - which is practically right next to the crime scene!"</p><p>Sparklez and Fundy run into the room. "What's going on?" Sparklez asks.</p><p>"Wilbur's just killed Sylvee." Minx says, inching closer to the others and away from Wilbur. </p><p>"It wasn't me!"</p><p>"The security footage was deleted!" Tubbo interrupts</p><p>Wilbur whips around to look at him wide-eyed. "I can explain!" </p><p>"Go ahead." Sparklez says, crossing his arms.</p><p>"Uh…"</p><p>"It's definitely him." Minx concludes, now standing behind everyone, putting them between herself and the murderer.</p><p>This doesn't make any <i>sense</i>. Wilbur was never suspicious before - he was the one to call Tubbo to warn him of Phil's murderous rampage. He definitely sounded like he was dying, what would the point in faking that be?</p><p>Everyone else nods in agreement, except for Wilbur, the man cautiously backing away. (And Sylvee, who's slumped partly against the wall, her hair covering her face.)</p><p>"If we all agree, we should put him in the brig too." Sparklez says. </p><p>"No - no - you need me -- This is fucking <i>mutiny</i>!"</p><p>"Good thing I'm not part of your crew." Sparklez catches Wilbur's wrist and pulls it behind his back, grabbing his other hand to restrain him. </p><p>"I can't believe this! You're my crew! You <i>know</i> I'd never hurt any of you - you're all being manipulated! Please!"</p><p>____</p><p>Tubbo calls Niki, a regular phone call without video so that she won't see his tear streaked face. After everything that's happened he really needs some cheering up, and there's no one better to do that right now than the portion of his crewmates that have nothing to do with anything that's gone wrong. </p><p>"<i>Tubbo! I can't really talk right now!<i>" Niki says "<i>You'll have to call me back!</i>"

</i></i></p><p>
  <i><i>
"Wait! Can you stay on? I need to talk to you." </i>
</i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>

 "<i>- Sure!</i>" There's muffled noises as Niki seems to put her phone back in her pocket.

</i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>
  <i></i>
</p><p>

Tubbo sits down in the cafeteria and listens to the bustling market that Niki runs through, pursuing the chaos. People yell around Niki, obscuring the sound of her feet against the pavement and her heavy breath as she runs.

</p><p>

There's a loud clanging of bells followed by more wind-chime like sounds, as if Niki ran through a display of ornamental bells. Someone yells at her, but it doesn't seem like she pauses.

</p><p>

Gunfire echoes through the market. People scream.

</p><p>

"<i>Oh no.</i>" Niki says, fumbling with her phone as she pulls it from her pocket. "<i>I made a wrong turn. I've lost track of them.</i>"

</p><p>

"Which way <i>should</i> you have gone?" Tubbo asks.

</p><p>

"<i>Uh, I went straight through the Timekeeping section when I think I should have turned right. There's no way that I'll be able to catch up with the others now.</i>"

</p><p>
"What's actually happening?"

</p><p>
"<i>A man stole my purse, we're chasing after him, but from the looks of it, so are a group of three bounty hunters. They're all running across the rooftops, we had to push through the crowds in the laneways, and I completely lost track of Techno and Eret. I'm not sure what’s happening in the distance - there might also be some kind of gang war going on, Techno said that the decorative districts are very dangerous.</i>"

</p><p>
"But if you turned right, you would probably still be with them, yeah?"

</p><p>
"<i>I suppose. I guess I should go back to the information sector and hope they come back.</i>"

</p><p>

"What did the thief look like?"

</p><p>
"<i>He, uh, was wearing bright green. I didn't see his face. One of the bounty hunters was dressed in all black, but I didn't really pay attention to the other two in all of the chaos.</i>"

</p><p>
A loud explosion booms through the market, causing the bells to rattle discordantly. There's a clang as Niki's phone hits the ground, and the connection is lost.

</p><p>
Tubbo immediately tries calling her again, but she doesn't answer.
</p><p>
 Ignoring his previous worries, he dials Techno.
</p><p>
After just a few seconds, Techno answers.
</p><p>
"<i>MAGIC IS REAL, TUBBO. MAGIC IS REAL.</i>" Techno shouts. "<i>I don't understand!</i>"
</p><p>
"What? What's happening?!"
</p><p>
"<i>This man - this man just teleported!</i>"
</p><p>
"He <i>teleported</i>?"
</p><p>
"<i>He was right in front of me, and then suddenly he disappeared and was on the other side of the river - oh shit.</i>"
</p><p>
There's another explosion, this time much louder - probably much closer - and the call instantly ends.
</p><p>
"Techno?" Tubbo tries calling him again. No response. He calls Eret, but he doesn't pick up either.
</p><p>
___
</p><p>
The ship is quiet. Nobody has turned the lights back to night mode yet, so Tubbo feels as if he's the only one left on the brightly lit ship that would usually be filled with life. The cafeteria should be filled with his friends. It's like they were just here, and just walked out of the room.

</p><p>
But half his friends are dead, the others their killers. 
</p><p>
It's only been at most a hour, but he finds himself walking to towards storage to check on Wilbur. 
</p><p>
He climbs down the ladder and walks up to the brig, looking through the window to see… CPK lying face-down on the floor.
</p><p>
Well, fuck.
</p><p>
"Well, I can't really explain this one away, can I?" Wilbur smiles sheepishly.
</p><p>
Wilbur! What the hell? Did - did you kill him? <i>Why?!</i>" There isn't anything Tubbo can do - Wilbur's already locked up, unable to harm anyone else. It would be too dangerous to try and enter to check CPK's vitals.
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Wilbur shrugs. "I dunno. I just wanted to."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
"You killed him… because you <i>could</i>?"
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The prisoner sits down on the bunk, shrugging nonchalantly. "Yeah - wait no, it was self-defence."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"…Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Wilbur seems to have lost it, so he might as well use him for information. Maybe Wilbur will drop some important clue, and he can find out the killers' motives.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"I don't think so. I'm hungry."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"…Hungry for what?" (Murder? Blood?)</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"I'm not sure. I'm just hungry."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Can think about how you're feeling? Can you tell me?"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i> "I'm a bit angry, I think everyone should get off this ship. I'd like the space to myself, you know?"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Wilbur, you're not acting… normally." This is disturbing, seeing his captain happily sitting next to a dead man, talking about complete nonsense.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
"I'm not sure why, really,  but it would be nice if everyone <i>stopped</i> being alive on this ship. Can you do that for me?"
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Doesn't this feel a bit weird to you, Wilbur?"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
He furrows his brow, lying down to stare at the ceiling of the brig. "You know what? That <i>is</i> weird."
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"…Do you regret killing them?" Surely Wilbur isn't just a heartless, remorseless murderer.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Wilbur closes his eyes. "Nah. It's what's supposed to happen. We need it."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
"You need it? Who's '<i>we</i>'?"
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"The other guys. This is boring. You know, I think I'm too tall. My arms are really long… it's not something that I'd ever really noticed before."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
\The way he's talking… It's like <i>someone else</i> is in Wilbur's body…
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Hey Wilbur, tell me something that no one else but us could know."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
 "Sounds lame. When you first met Phil, you thought he was cosplaying as an anime character. You asked me who it was because you didn't want to make him feel bad that you didn't know the characters' name."<br/>
…<br/>
Wilbur wouldn't have ever told anyone about that, so is this Wilbur? Is he just leaping to irrational conclusions?
  
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Tubbo, do you think I'm possessed? I think I would notice if I was possessed."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
…Maybe Wilbur <i>is</i> possessed - or mind controlled. Maybe magic <i>is</i> real, and the ship has been cursed. 
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Wilbur, what did you do after we turned off the breach alarm?"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"I got bored and restless, so I went to security."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tubbo's eyes stray to the meteor. Could it -?</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Did you ever come down into the cargo bay?" He asks, looking back to Wilbur.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"No." </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tubbo couldn't really ever tell if Wilbur was lying on a normal day, but it's especially difficult when the man is acting so… off. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Do you know who reinforced the breachspot?" </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"That was you, wasn't it?"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Yeah, but someone was here before I was. If you were in security you would've seen them."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Wilbur hums noncommittally.</i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Frustratingly, I've had the majority of this chapter done for days but haven't been able to finish it to a degree that I'm satisfied with. I managed to make some progress today, might as well get the thing posted.<br/>Not my proudest chapter, but we're finally getting places</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Averted Ears</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Are you working with anybody?" Tubbo pleads.</p><p>Wilbur doesn't answer, staring at the ceiling.</p><p>"Wilbur?" He says to no response.</p><p>Tubbo taps on the reinforced glass to no reaction. Wilbur seems almost as dead as CPK. "Wilbur! Come on, you can help." Wilbur closes his eyes and still doesn't acknowledge him. "If there's anyone else that's … murderous, we could all be in danger, including you."</p><p>The engines rumble, the lights buzz faintly.</p><p>After a minute, Tubbo gives up on interrogating a man who's just <i>ignoring</i> him. With one final look back into the brig, Tubbo climbs up the ladder out of the cargo bay.</p><p>____</p><p>The cafeteria is empty. </p><p>Dread crawls in Tubbo's belly before he pushes it down and rationalises that the others are probably on the upper deck. With Wilbur caught, the others can probably relax - they might have even gone to sleep.</p><p>The system of having ladders between each deck is really annoying, he muses to himself as he climbs up. Especially when he's tired. Stress and adrenaline have kept him awake during each loop, and he's starting to crash. He hasn't had much sleep, and although he's been awake for hours, the sun wouldn't have risen yet.</p><p>He misses sunrise. The paint on the ladder has slightly flaked away, making the rungs rough under his hands.<br/>
Tubbo steps onto the top deck. There isn't anyone in the hallway. He has a new plan - he's going to find Fundy. As much as the man scares him, Tubbo needs to face Fundy, to see if there's anything that he can learn. If he acts anything like Wilbur, if he still has murderous intent this loop.</p><p>Fundy's door is still slightly open. Tubbo looks through the crack at an empty room. No Fundy, and definitely no Eret. Tubbo is really missing Eret. He could use a comforting figure right now. With Wilbur and Tommy… gone, Phil is the only one left on the ship that Tubbo could feel safe with, if the last loop never happened.</p><p>He slides the door to the lounge open. The room is empty. </p><p>He checks the other rec rooms. The bathrooms are empty, as is the gym and the dark room filled with carboard boxes that will hopefully become a garden.<br/>
He slides the door to the dark room closed again. Everyone has to be in their rooms, or just back on the middle deck. </p><p>He walks back down the hallway, knocking on each locked door to no response.</p><p>(He should have grabbed Techno's sword.)</p><p>With a deep sigh, Tubbo climbs back down the ladder. It would be nice to just fall asleep, but he needs information.</p><p>The cafeteria is still empty. </p><p>The darkness of the corridors is intimidating, but he forces himself to leave the room. </p><p>Tubbo looks into admin to see Minx standing at the table, examining the hologram of the ship. "Minx!"</p><p>She looks up, startled, before giving him an awkward smile. "Tubbo. What are you still doing up?"</p><p>He doesn't bother with a response. He swivels one of the seats at the scanner screens and sits down tiredly. "Have you seen Fundy around?"</p><p>"Nah. I haven't really been paying attention… you know." Minx shrugs, not making eye contact. She hits a button to show a projected map of the ship's wiring, and begins a diagnostic. It seems that Minx is trying to distract herself by keeping busy. The work she's doing is pointless - Scott checked the wiring just a couple of days ago. </p><p>The screens beep, and the two sit in silence. With nothing better to do, and not wanting to leave Minx, Tubbo opens the scanner information. The results are exactly as expected - there's nothing out there.</p><p>No ships, no stations. The nearest planet about sixty degrees off course and more than five hours away. He drums his fingers against the seat. He's wasting time.</p><p>Rapid footsteps echo through the corridor outside, and Fundy bursts into the room. He slams the door shut behind him, leaning against the door, sliding down to the floor. He covers his face with his hands.</p><p>Minx stands, cautiously inching towards Fundy. "Fundy? Are you alright?"</p><p>Fundy scrubs his jacket sleeve against his face, before dropping his hands to the floor by his sides. His face is red from tears, but he seems to have calmed himself down. "No! There's <i>another person dead!</i> Sparklez is dead in the hallway by electrical!"</p><p>Tubbo can tell that Minx is keeping a careful distance. There isn't anyone coming to save them anymore. Minx isn't stupid, she knows that she shouldn't trust either of her fellow crewmates. </p><p>"What happened?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>Fundy looks at the ceiling. "I don't know. I just saw him dead on the floor and I just ran without thinking… I probably should have looked for evidence but… I just needed to get away. I wasn't actually expecting anyone else to be in here."</p><p>Minx crosses her arms. "I was in here for practically the whole time. I haven't even been near electrical in ages. It wasn't me."</p><p>"Then it's Tubbo!" Fundy accuses, standing and backing away along the wall to increase the distance between himself and Tubbo. </p><p>"What!? No - it wasn't me!" Tubbo says, looking quickly between Minx and Fundy. If Minx was indeed in here the whole time, then it has to be Fundy - he killed Sparklez and panicked. "It's Fundy!"</p><p>Wilbur never freaked out at killing anyone. If he and Fundy are being controlled (or swapped out by) the same thing, then Fundy's reaction doesn't make sense.</p><p>Unless he's trying to manipulate Minx. Fuck.</p><p>Minx covers her mouth with her hand as she seems to come to a realisation. "I'm the one who has to make the call, aren't I?" She looks to the wall, deep in thought. "Tubbo - you were the last one with Tommy weren't you? And you've been all around the ship this whole time."</p><p>"It wasn't me! I would never - Minx! I have a theory. I think that Wilbur, and <i>Fundy</i> aren't actually themselves. I'm in a time loop and something's happened - mind control, or shapeshifting and --"</p><p>"Fuck, you're a looper?" Fundy complains. "This makes everything so much more difficult."</p><p>Before either of them can react, Fundy grabs Minx's hand and drags her across the room to Tubbo, pulling her hand up to press against Tubbo's face. Tubbo flinches back, hitting his head against the monitor behind him.</p><p>"The fuck are you doing?!" Minx shouts. "Let me go!" She pulls her hand from Fundy's grip, quickly stepping back, colliding with the admin table.</p><p>"This makes things a <i>lot harder</i>" Fundy growls. He pulls his butterfly knife from his pocket. In an instant, he slashes it against Tubbo's neck. Tubbo's hands reach to the cut, touching hot blood. His heartbeat is strong in his veins. Oh fuck fuck fuck-</p><p>He falls off the chair and onto the floor. </p><p>The last thing he sees is Minx kneeing Fundy in the groin before the room fades into black.</p><p>____</p><p>Tubbo is woken by blaring alarms.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is basically the end of arc 1 :)<br/>if I cared about arcs</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Pause</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The room flashes red before returning to darkness, and then red again.</p><p>Tubbo reluctantly sits up and swings his legs over the edge of his bunk, resting his elbows on his knees, staring blankly at the wall. Red, black, red again.</p><p>Tommy climbs out of the lower bunk and looks up at Tubbo. "Are you alright?" He asks.</p><p>Tubbo pulls himself out of his stupor and shrugs. "I'm fine." He shuffles slightly forward and drops to the ground. With a short glance back at him, Tommy opens the door and disappears into the hallway. Tubbo stops to pick up his jacket and pulls it on, his hand wrapping around the tube of glue in the pocket as a sort of stress ball. The alarms are shut off, and the regular lights turn on, illuminating the room and the hallway outside. He follows Tommy out.</p><p>"-most sense for someone who knows the ship really well to go?" He hears Fundy say.</p><p>"I'll go" Tubbo volunteers. Fundy whirls around to look at him, his brow furrowing, but the man doesn't say anything.</p><p>Wilbur nods to Tubbo. "Anyone want to go with?" he asks the congregation in the hallway. Scott turns back around and disappears into his room without a word.</p><p>"Tubbo, do you want me to come with?" Tommy asks. Tubbo shakes his head.</p><p>"Nah, we might need someone who can do heavy lifting." Tubbo has to investigate the ship as early as possible, and he can't stomach the idea of Tommy getting hurt because of him. Again.</p><p>Fundy is staring strangely at Sparklez, with a sort of intensity that Tubbo can't read. When Sparklez walks back down the hallway to the far end where the passengers are rooming, Fundy steps backwards into his own room and slides his door shut.</p><p>"I guess I'll go with you," Phil says, looking around at the now empty hallway. "Even though I really just want to get back to sleep. Let's make this quick."</p><p>If Tubbo's theory is correct, then there's only a small chance that Phil is a threat, but statistics aren't very comforting when he's standing right next to him and they are very alone. The ship returns to night mode, Wilbur having decided that there isn't anything to worry about. Tubbo walks to the ladder and climbs down to the middle deck, standing by the base to wait for Phil to follow him.</p><p>Phil fumbles a bit with the last step, yelping. He lands on the tiles, looking disoriented. "I definitely should not be awake right now. I'm not made for this kind schedule." He says, rubbing at one of his eyes.</p><p>The cafeteria is dark. Dreary. There's a puddle of water by the kitchen benches. It's like every other loop, but Tubbo takes immense comfort in the fact that it's empty not because everyone is gone - but because they're safe upstairs.</p><p>Stars very slowly, very slightly drift past the window as the ship endlessly sails forwards. Everything is so far away.</p><p>"Tubbo?" Phil asks. "Is something wrong?" Tubbo shakes himself out of it and strides past Phil and out of the cafeteria to storage.</p><p>Again, he's the first down the ladder. As he climbs down, he sees a glimpse of bright blue, but when he pauses his descent for a second to look through the rungs of the ladder, there's nothing to see. He keeps climbing down.</p><p>The cargo hold is dark. A massive room, with lights lining the intersection of the walls and floor, and lining the windows of the airlocks and into storage room. A green light winks on the water tank.</p><p>As Phil climbs down to join him, Tubbo flicks on the lights. He flinches at the sudden brightness, but his eyes adjust after a second. He walks around the shipping containers to examine the meteor - meteoroid? - wedged firmly into the wall. "Phil, get the reinforcement tape," he calls over his shoulder. He traces his finger around the edge of the rock. Any smaller holes around the rock created by the impact were automatically blocked up by the auto sealant, which is a substance stored in clusters inside the walls that is released when disturbed to form a spacetight seal that hardens like rock. He checks that all of the smaller breaches around the rock are sealed. Everything has worked as usual, any contact the inside of the ship had with the void has been blocked off.</p><p>The auto sealant only works in small cracks, and can do nothing to stop the hole larger than his head that would appear if the rock fell back out of the ship, which is what they need the reinforcement tape for.</p><p>"Okay, I've got the tape!" Phil announces reappearing from inside of the smaller storage room. "We should really have this stuff in a place that's easier to find, it was at the bottom of the wiring repair toolbox!" Phil hands Tubbo a roll.</p><p>Tubbo tugs the tape from the roll, stretching it until it's suitably long enough and pressing one end to the wall.</p><p>He's hit by sudden dizziness and his vision washes staticky and blue. He falls to his knees and clutches at his head.</p><p> </p><p>He digs his hands into his hair and stares at the floor, his vision blurring in and out.</p><p> </p><p>"Tubbo! Are you okay?!"</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Tubbo!"</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I think this is the shortest chapter yet, but that's how it was always planned. </p><p>My life has been very busy recently, so I may not be able to update for a while. In the meantime, enjoy some art:</p><p>  <br/>By: Arthyxs<br/>https://www.instagram.com/arthyxs/<br/><br/>By: dandifinee<br/>https://dandifinee.tumblr.com/post/630836184566923264/<br/><br/>And this one is by me! posted on my tumblr, give it a reblog if you're cool</p><p> I love fanarts so much pls keep making them  </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Shuffle Play</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy has a faint headache. It isn't painful, just a lingering Annoyance that he can't fully get himself to ignore. He reaches to his water bottle and takes a sip, but the water is stale and not particularly hydrating. He'd like to just get back to sleep.</p><p>Tubbo was acting Really Weird when they woke up. The way he just stopped and stared for a minute at the wall, like he wasn't fully there or something. He has the strange feeling that this isn't quite the same Tubbo that pranked Fundy with him. Tubbo probably had a really bad dream, one of those that just sticks in your head for days. He seemed like he has Seen Some Shit.</p><p>Well, he's had enough of this.</p><p>Tommy pushes his blankets off of him and stands, carefully ducking under the bunk above him so he doesn't hit his head. He stretches and looks around. Tubbo still hasn't come back, and with nothing else to do, Tommy might as well join him and Phil. Do something with this restless energy he's got.</p><p>He slips on his shoes and pulls the door open. Before bothering to climb down to join Tubbo, he might as well check if anyone else is awake. </p><p>The door to the lounge is slightly open. Tommy opens it all the way to see that Fundy is sitting alone in the darkness, nervously typing on his phone. "Hey, Fundy."</p><p>Fundy looks up at him and gives an unimpressed look. "I don't have the time or the energy for you right now Tommy."</p><p>"Hey, that's pretty rude. Is this about the ears?"</p><p>Fundy sighs. "No - I … I've just got some things to figure out."</p><p>Such a disappointing result.</p><p>
  <i>It was a good plan, it just didn't work.</i>
</p><p>It might just be the faint, pretty much faded headache, but Tommy feels a general sense of Unease.</p><p>
  <i>Something feels wrong, but he's not sure what. He glances around the room. Nothing is unusual. Yet, he feels as if everything is completely different.<i></i></i>
</p><p>
 
      <i>He does his best to just ignore it.</i>

</p><p>
 "Fine." Tommy grumbles. "I'll leave you to it, if that's what you want."

</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He leaves the room, shutting the door behind him. Everyone seems to be acting really weird, and he Does Not Like It.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He strides down the hallway, and climbs down the ladder into the dark cafeteria. The fridge rumbles and his feet tap against the crappy tile floor.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The breach was in the cargo bay, wasn't it?</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>____</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The cargo bay is empty. Phil and Tubbo have both vanished, and they didn't even fix the breach. Pretty lazy of them, to start to do some work and then just get bored and leave.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Now he's doing a Proper Search for Tubbo. He isn't in admin, and he hasn't somehow missed Tubbo in the cafeteria. One of the passengers, the Woman, is sitting at the table with a drink. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Oh hey. What are you doing up?" She asks pleasantly. He ignores her and turns back into the hallway and leaves. "Or you could just wander off." He hears her mumble to herself under her breath.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Tubbo?" He calls into the hallway.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>

      <i>Where is he?</i>

</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tubbo appears around the corner leading to the back of the ship.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>

      <i>Oh. There he is.</i>

</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Tubbo! Where have you been? Why didn't you end up reinforcing the breach?" Tubbo shrugs nonchalantly. Tommy still has the strange feeling that something isn't quite right.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"It isn't bad enough to actually need fixing. We decided to leave it until morning, y'know?"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tommy nods awkwardly. "So, why are you still down here on the middle deck? Is something going on?"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Nah, just feeling a bit restless." Tubbo starts walking back the way he came, towards the engine room. Tommy follows.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Where's Phil?" Tommy asks. He'd expected Tubbo and Phil to still be together, but Phil isn't anywhere to be seen.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>

      <i>He's practically buzzing with nervous energy.</i>

</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Huh? Oh, he's probably in the cafeteria. He wanted a coffee, even though it's <i>way</i> too early for caffeine and he won't be able to get back to sleep. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"I didn't see him."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Then he's probably in the cockpit. Doing his… pilot thing."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>

      <i>He's lying.</i>

</p><p>

      <i>He's a bit hungry, now that he's thinking about the cafeteria. He could use a glass of water.</i>

</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tubbo leans against the handrail around the drop into the engine machinery. "I've always wanted to learn how to properly pilot a ship. It seems really cool."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tommy has no reason to feel uncomfortable, his headache fully gone now and everything completely normal. He's hanging out with his best friend. There's no reason for things to be weird.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>

      <i>He doesn't have any reason to think anything is unusual.</i>

</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The engine rumbles and electricity zaps between the conductors near the ceiling. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Well, I don't know why we're just here, and I'm not going to waste any more time just standing around." Tommy finally says, and claps his hand against Tubbo's shoulder, and startles with a sudden pain in his hand. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Ow.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>

      <i>Ow.</i>

</p><p>

      <i>Wait -- dammit.</i>

</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>And suddenly there's a blade against Tommy's throat.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>

      <i>He had hoped that -</i>

</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Tubbo?" Tommy asks, his voice wavering in fear. "Is this a …sword? What's going on, Tubbo?"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>

      <i>But everything has gotten a lot more complicated.</i>

</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tubbo adjusts his grip on the handle, the blade lightly scratching against Tommy's neck. He doesn't say anything, just looking up at Tommy with a strange, terrifying intensity.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>

      <i>It's a bit of an awkward pose, holding the sword against someone who's so much taller than he is.</i>

</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>

      <i>But he doesn't have to for long.</i>

</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>

      <i>He watches the body fall to the floor with a thud.</i>

</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>

      <i>(dead before he even hit the ground.)</i>

</p><p>

      <i>There isn't anyone around to see what had happened. He shoves the body over the edge of the walkway to fall under the engine.</i>

</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>
      
    </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
<i>There's work to be done. </i><br/>
____
 
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tommy wakes up with a gasp.</i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oooh, what a development!</p><p>I decided to write like Tommy writes his tweets, capitalising Important Words to properly show the POV switch, but it's so painful to write. I suffered, so maybe you should too.</p><p>Also, it's surprisingly hard to be misleading. It requires I use my brain.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Superman</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy rubs at his eyes. A nightmare, probably. Definitely not the worst Tommy has ever had, probably not even hitting the top five, but strangely… realistic. </p><p>He turns over and tries not to Think About It, just staring at the wall. Grey, bland, lifeless, and not very distracting at all. He closes his eyes and tries to get back to sleep.</p><p>____</p><p>Tommy is startled from his half-sleep by a <i>crack</i> reverberating through the metal structure of the ship, followed by the whine of the alarm. He was already having shit sleep, and now he has to get up? He's going to be a complete wreck in the morning.</p><p>He begrudgingly pulls himself out of bed and looks up at Tubbo. His friend is sitting on the edge of the bed, seemingly deep in thought. Tommy doesn't think anything of it.</p><p>He opens the door and steps out into the hallway. He's one of the first ones out, the only other person being Wilbur. "What's wrong, Wilbur?" Tommy asks.</p><p>Wilbur looks through the data for a second more. "There's, uh, a breach. In the starboard side of the cargo bay."</p><p><i>What?</i> Isn't this what happened? Was that real, and Tommy's somehow been sent back through time? He's too lost in thought to follow the conversation. Does he have some kind of superpower that only activates when he dies? That's a pretty shit superpower. Would that make him invincible, then? Does he have any other superpowers, other than setting time back?</p><p>Phil pats him on the shoulder, causing Tommy to look up in surprise. He realises that he wasn't paying attention at all, and now he's the only one in the hallway. He hopes that no one said anything important - wait, wouldn't he already know what they said? He tries to recall what happened the first time, but can't.</p><p>Damn, he's been given the opportunity to be the Coolest Man in the galaxy, and he's wasting it already.</p><p>Rather than just going back to bed, Tommy decides to wander around the top floor, since whatever is going on is pretty exciting and demands a lot of Thinking about.</p><p>He paces down the corridor, past the ladder to the next deck, and around the corner. Tubbo killed him. Why? It seemed like something his friend wasn't planning to do it, but he still had a conveniently hidden murder weapon... </p><p>Tommy walks to the end of the hallway, opening to the door to the garden-to-be, which is just a dark room crammed with junk. The windows are covered by large blackout curtains, so he can't see the stars. The room feels nice and secluded.</p><p>…Like Tubbo was preparing to go kill people, but wanted to keep Tommy around, which is pretty creepy. </p><p>He lifts a box onto a table. He opens the box and looks through it. Did Tubbo think that Tommy would still be his friend and support him or something? </p><p>The box has mostly useless items in it, like candles.<br/>
And Phil… did he vanish because Tubbo killed him?</p><p>Was his dad's body just shoved into a closet somewhere, or disposed out of the airlock? It's not great to think about.</p><p>He knows he's wasting his time, but he isn't really ready to face what's going on. His hand finds something that isn't a candle in the box. He pulls it out and finds a crown. It's made out of shimmering, delicately detailed gold and is set with large, priceless looking gems. Where the fuck did this come from? No one on this ship is rich enough to afford things like this.</p><p>He shoves it back into the bottom of the box. It's a mystery for another day. He can't put this off any longer.</p><p> </p><p>The first step of his not very thought out plan is to find someone who'll believe him. The passengers obviously wouldn't, Tubbo will just kill him again, Minx definitely wouldn't trust him. This leaves him with Fundy, who's annoyed at him, and the older members of the crew. Phil will probably listen to what he has to say - he might even believe it.</p><p>He knocks on Phil's door. It takes a while before there's any response, Phil quietly complaining to himself as he pulls himself out of bed to open the door. He blinks tiredly at Tommy, waiting for some kind of explanation for dragging him out of bed.</p><p>"Phil, I have something very important to tell you. A matter of life and death."</p><p>"Uh huh."</p><p>"Turns out I have some kind of secret superpower that makes it so I can't actually die - I mean, I did - but I'm not dead anymore, and there's something going on with Tubbo because he killed me -"</p><p>Phil scrunches his face in tired confusion. "Wait, let me catch up with that… you're superman?"</p><p>"No, I just have a superpower. Listen -"</p><p>"And Tubbo… killed you?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"…Tubbo."</p><p>"Yes! We don't have time -"</p><p>"Look, Tommy, I don't know what's going on, or whatever it is you think is going on, but I don't think I'll be able to help you here. I'm… very tired." Phil says apologetically, closing the door in Tommy's face. </p><p>Wow. That's pretty Rude. Tommy's just trying to be helpful. And, y'know, save peoples' lives.</p><p>The next logical choice seems to be Fundy, since he was already fully awake last time. There doesn't seem to be any reason why he wouldn't be in the lounge again. </p><p>He's proven right when he opens the door to the lounge room. Fundy is sitting exactly as he had been, typing on his phone. "Hey Fundy."</p><p>Fundy gives him an unimpressed look. "I don't have the time or energy for you right now, Tommy."</p><p>"It's important."</p><p>Fundy looks back at his phone. "I don't think it's more important than what I'm trying to figure out right now. Can you give me some space."</p><p>"I have a secret superpower that made me go back in time!"</p><p>Fundy drops his phone, looking back up at Tommy. "What? Me too! Except not the superpower thing. Does that mean you remember?" A relieved smile grows on Fundy's face.</p><p>"Remember everything already happening almost exactly the same, yeah, I do."</p><p>"This is great, I was so worried that I was alone. You can help me stop Sparklez from killing everyone again!"</p><p>Wait what? Sparklez? </p><p>"No, it was Tubbo."</p><p>"What? Tubbo didn't have anything to do with the murders."</p><p>"It was <i>definitely</i> Tubbo. He's the one that killed me. You must have figured it out wrong."</p><p>"But there's no way that - Tubbo couldn't have possibly been the killer, or even an accomplice. He was with Wilbur the whole time."</p><p>"No he wasn’t - he was with <i>Phil</i>!"</p><p>Fundy drags a hand across his face in exasperation. "Okay, it looks like there's some confusion between us here. Let's start from the beginning. We were all woken up by the breach, yeah?" Tommy nods. "And then Sparklez and Sylvee both went to check it, giving them -"</p><p>"What? No! It was Tubbo and Phil!"</p><p>"What? What do you mean?!" </p><p>The two stare at each other, more confused than before.</p><p>"I think we might be remembering different things." Fundy finally suggests. "I don't know how, maybe we experienced parallel timelines?"</p><p>"That sounds dumb. So, what do we do now?"</p><p>"I don't know." Fundy sighs. "It seems like the information we have is completely useless."</p><p>"But how is that even possible? It doesn't make any sense - why did Tubbo even kill me?"</p><p>"I don't <i>know</i>! Maybe there's, I don't know, a shapeshifter or something."</p><p>"Why would it want to kill us, then?"</p><p>Fundy buries his head in his hands "<i>I don't know</i>! I don't know anything more than you!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter is just full of people being confused</p><p>Last chapter I dropped what I thought was an obvious hint about something pretty important, but no one mentioned it, so I'm either way more subtle than I thought or you all just... didn't think anything of it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Of Mice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy and Fundy sit in the lounge, deep in thought. Nothing makes sense, and neither of them have an explanation for what possibly could be going on.</p>
<p>"So, what do we do now?" Tommy finally asks</p>
<p>Fundy brushes a hand through his hair, and winces when he touches the clump of glue. "I guess we have to look for more information. Whatever is happening, hasn't ever been recorded officially - either this is the first time anyone has ever gone back in time, it's a secret, or no one has ever lived long enough to record it."</p>
<p>"Should we tell the others what's going on?"</p>
<p>"I don't think so - that would just make us targets. Do you want to stick together or split up?"</p>
<p>"It would be safest to stay together, but we each have memories of different people killing us, and we don't know who that'll be in this reality. I want to follow Sparklez to make sure he doesn't do anything…"</p>
<p>Fundy's logic makes sense, but Tommy really doesn't want to be alone with his own murderer. He's plenty happy to follow Fundy around if he can just be with someone that he can trust.</p>
<p>"I'll stick with you, then. Is anyone actually awake?"</p>
<p>Tommy is interrupted by the alarms starting up again.</p>
<p>"They are now."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>____</p>
<p>The alarms are turned off by the time Tommy and Fundy climb down to the cafeteria. "What happened?" Fundy asks.</p>
<p>The woman shrugs. "I think there was a crisis or something, but everything seems to be alright."</p>
<p>Scott frowns. "You seem a bit… blasé about all of this, Sylvee. If something was really wrong, we could all be in a lot of danger."</p>
<p>Sylvee takes a long sip from her mug, not breaking eye contact with Scott. "There's nothing I could possibly do about it, I don't know this ship at all. I've learned to accept my fate, whatever it will be."</p>
<p>At that, Sparklez and Tubbo walk into the cafeteria from hallway leading to the engines. A few paces behind them, Wilbur and Phil are having some kind of argument, but drop it when they see the group in the cafeteria. Phil walks up to the table and crosses his arms, radiating annoyance, while Wilbur clears his throat to address the room. Tubbo stands between Scott and Sparklez, almost on the opposite side of the table to Tommy.</p>
<p>"There's no good way to say this." Wilbur begins. "There's at least two people who… messed with the settings of the reactor. A few more seconds, and the whole thing would have exploded, killing us all."</p>
<p>"Well, that's not good." CPK says. </p>
<p>Wilbur ignores him and continues. "We don't know who it could have been. Does anyone have any more information."</p>
<p>Sylvee sits up. "I was here the whole time! Most of the people here came down from upstairs after the reactor went off, meaning that there's only a few people that it could be."</p>
<p>"That means nothing." Wilbur looks over the group. "There's small maintenance passageways between floors. If whoever it was found an entrance to one of them, they could pretend to be on a different floor at the time - sneak up onto the top deck so they can climb down the ladder and give themselves an alibi."</p>
<p>Sylvee sets her mug down. "Well, I didn't know those existed. That means that it has to be one of the crew."</p>
<p>Tommy definitely didn't know that there were secret passageways between decks. If he did, he would totally have used them to steal things from people.</p>
<p>"Not necessarily, the entrance panels are all over the place, and someone could accidentally find them. I never really told anyone."</p>
<p>"I'm starting to really not like this ship." Minx says.</p>
<p>"I can't believe I'm paying money to be here." CPK sighs.</p>
<p>Tommy looks around. Everyone mostly just looks tired and worried. Sparklez doesn't look particularly suspicious, but neither does Tubbo. Tubbo is fiddling with a tube of glue, absently twisting the cap off and back on again. Tommy tears his eyes away to study Phil. Whatever his disagreement with Wilbur was, Phil still seems annoyed, but it seems to be fading away in favour of plain tiredness. <br/>Tommy can't read anything from Minx, Scott or Wilbur other than worry. </p>
<p>"What do we do now?" Tubbo asks, his voice uncertain.</p>
<p>There's silence before Wilbur finally answers. "I'm not sure. If we don't have any ideas of who it could be, then there isn't anything we can do. Just keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Phil, <i>stay in the cockpit</i>. We don't want someone messing with those controls."</p>
<p>"I can't just -"</p>
<p>"<i>Phil.</i> That's an order."</p>
<p>Tommy notices that Tubbo is watching wide-eyed with growing concern visible on his face.</p>
<p>Phil stares tiredly at Wilbur for a few seconds before giving in and leaving the cafeteria for the cockpit. </p>
<p>"Am I allowed to go with?" Scott asks, gesturing to the hallway.</p>
<p>"No." Wilbur says. "I trust him, and the less people in the cockpit, the better." </p>
<p> </p>
<p>With nothing else to be done, people go their separate ways out of the cafeteria, leaving just Tommy, Fundy and Sylvee, who is still sitting at the table with a now-empty mug.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tommy pulls Fundy to the corner. "So what did you make of that?"</p>
<p>Fundy leans against the wall. "I dunno. That definitely didn't happen in my timeline."</p>
<p>"Not mine, either."</p>
<p>"Logically, we should be the ones capable of changing what happens in this timeline, because the others would just be doing the same thing every time. I think this means that there's either another person from an alternate timeline messing with things, or in <i>this</i> timeline someone else is the murderous one. I don't think that anything either of us have done would affect Wilbur and Phil."</p>
<p>Tommy nods. "Sparklez and Tubbo were with them, so maybe one of them said something to provoke an argument."</p>
<p>"Possibly. That doesn't give us any indication of who's guilty though, since they were both there."</p>
<p>"Well, doesn't it take two people to adjust the reactor settings? It <i>could</i> still be both of them."</p>
<p>Tommy turns to look out the windows as he thinks. He feels like there's a simple, obvious explanation that he can't quite grasp, and it’s Infuriating.</p>
<p>"Wait - why were you so against Sparklez checking the breach? You did it last time too."</p>
<p>"What? I didn't - <i>Oh.</i>" A look of realisation forms on Fundy's face. "I <i>didn't</i> do that anytime other than today - I think I learned what happened in <i>my</i> timeline, and have been doing the same thing over and over since without remembering any of it - like I got… my time set back before you did. I think that can explain how we have such different memories."</p>
<p>"What? That didn't make any sense."</p>
<p>"Look, I think that we're in some kind of repeating… <i>time loop!</i> I had mine first, and then I <i>stopped</i> and you started. Although I thought it was "yesterday", my memories are from a loop that happened a couple of loops earlier."</p>
<p>Scratch that idea of a Simple explanation, this is hard to wrap his head around. But, the more he thinks about it, it does make a sort of sense.</p>
<p>"But why, or how?"</p>
<p>"I guess that's something we'll have to find out."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At that, the lights flicker out, leaving the room in complete darkness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The stars drifting by out the window are the only thing that Tommy can see. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>There's a lot clatter somewhere across the room, the sound of footsteps landing heavily.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He looks up to see two strange, faintly glowing dots in the distance.</p>
<p>"What is <i>that?</i>"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He fumbles for his phone, almost dropping it as he opens it to turn its torch on. </p>
<p>He raises the torch to illuminate the strange dots, but only sees an empty corridor. A console flickers on, making a faint green light. It was probably just one of the lights indicating a system failure or something.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He cautiously walks up to check. There's no one around the corner. A light glows on the console. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He shines his torch on the console. It was just the light to indicate that the water storage is undergoing a filtration.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's then that Tommy realises that he's entirely alone.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Solitary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"…Fundy?" Tommy calls out. There isn't any answer. </p><p>The darkness is almost solid, like Tommy could reach out and <i>touch</i> it. Dread curls in his gut, reaching up to clench at his heart. </p><p>He has the feeling of eyes on his back. It's like he's being watched, or at least there's another presence in the hallway that his subconscious is picking up on. Tommy tightens his grip around his phone-turned-torch.</p><p>New plan - he's going to carefully go back to the cafeteria and then meet people on the top deck. There's safety in numbers, and Tommy is Extremely alone right now.</p><p>"Hello? Is there anyone there?"</p><p>As he takes his first steps back the way he came, Tommy turns on his heel and shines the light behind him. He's met by an empty corridor.</p><p>He tries to calm his breathing.</p><p>Are there rats or something on board? Watching him from cracks in the walls?</p><p>At the doorway to the cafeteria, there's a light switch. He flicks it on and off a few times to no effect. The room remains in complete darkness. The clicking noise echoes through the room. Or maybe he's just imagining it, and his senses are straining for any kind of information in the absence of sight.</p><p>"Hello?" He calls again.</p><p>A light shines down from the ladder. "Tommy?" Minx calls down. "Are you alright?"</p><p>Tommy feels the tension ease out of him. "Yeah. It's real dark down here."</p><p>Minx laughs hollowly. "Here too. Is there anyone else with you?"</p><p>"No. Fundy and Sylvee were in the cafeteria, but then I left and when I came back there wasn't anyone around."</p><p>"Oh. I guess I'll come down. We should try and fix whatever's wrong with the lights."</p><p>While Minx pockets her phone and climbs down the ladder, Tommy spaces out and watches the stars out the window. The void is terrifying. He's so far away from solid ground, like he's been pushed over a cliff and is falling, but there's nothing out there to ever catch his fall. He hadn't really wanted to live in space, but he had been determined to follow Wilbur, Phil and Tubbo. To the edge of the universe, and all that. </p><p>"Alright." Minx says, snapping him from his thoughts. "Let's go."</p><p>She points the torch down the corridor, and walks away without waiting for him to follow.</p><p>Tommy feels much safer in Minx's presence, even though she'd probably do a Shit Job at protecting anyone, especially if an attacker has a <i>fucking sword.</i></p><p>Minx grabs the door to the electrical room and yanks it open, the old piece of metal making an unpleasant grating sound. The room is dusty, since it's one that nobody ever really visits, and no one lives in it like Techno lives in comms.</p><p>"Wait." She commands, stopping Tommy from stepping inside. She crouches, shining her torch on the floor. After a moment she nods to herself. "No footprints." She stands and walks into the room.</p><p>She then investigates the cover of the fuse box. "Fingerprints. They look new."</p><p>When she turns and sees him staring in surprise, she rolls her eyes. "Hey, I can pay attention to details when I bother."</p><p>Minx opens the cover to the fuse box. "Huh. They just turned the switches off. I would have expected to find a knife or something jammed in here." She flicks the lights back on.</p><p>After a couple of seconds, the corridor outside is flooded with light, and tears form at the edges of Tommy's eyes as he blinks away the pain as his eyes adjust. "I forgot how bright it normally is."</p><p>Minx shoves the case back onto the fuse box, smacking the corner to force the old piece of metal back in place. "We should probably find everyone else, make sure they're alright."</p><p>She turns the torch setting off on her phone. "…I missed a call from Niki. I hope that it wasn't anything important, I'll call her back later." She turns her phone off and pockets it.</p><p>"I don't really care."</p><p>"Shut up, Tommy. I didn't ask."</p><p>He trails behind her silently, thinking. "Have you ever seen… strange lights?"</p><p>"You're gonna have to be a bit more descriptive there, Tommy."</p><p>"Like, floating little lights, a bit like stars, but inside the ship."</p><p>"Nah. Sounds like ghosts to me."</p><p>"Ghosts. In space."</p><p>"You don't know who lived on this ship before Wilbur bought it. Or maybe it's a sign from a higher power." Minx says, and leaves it at that.</p><p> </p><p>The cafeteria is still empty, so the two climb back up to the top deck. Tommy's getting real tired of climbing up and down this ladder today, even if half of those times were in another timeline that doesn't exist anymore.</p><p>(Is that timeline actually gone? Is there a universe where his friends are currently mourning his death?)</p><p>Tommy can hear conversation from the lounge, so rather than go to bed or knock on other people's doors, he decides to check it out.</p><p>In the room are Wilbur, Tubbo, Scott, and the two male passengers.</p><p>But not Fundy.</p><p>Wilbur looks up at Tommy. "Did you fix the lights?"</p><p>"Obviously." Minx answers. "No one else was doing it."</p><p>"What was wrong?" CPK asks.</p><p>"The fuse box settings were messed up. Nothing permanent."</p><p>"This is so frustrating." Wilbur says. "I hate having to wait for evidence to just show up. Is there any?"</p><p>Minx crosses her arms. "Not really. I checked for footprints from the door to the fuse box, but there weren't any that weren't at least a week old."</p><p>"It seems like the only ones not on the top deck were Tommy, Fundy and Sylvee." Scott says. He turns to Tommy. "Where are the others?"</p><p>"I… don't know. We separated, and then I couldn't find them again."</p><p>"What, they just disappeared?" Tubbo asks incredulously. "The ship isn't that big, surely they couldn't-"</p><p>"I don't know! They were in cafeteria, and then they weren't! I didn't go looking for them."</p><p>"I hate to assume the worst, but we really have to here." Wilbur says. "We need to find them to make sure that they're alright."</p><p>Wilbur stands and walks out, and Scott and Sparklez follow him. Tommy decides to stay in the lounge. He's been too nervous, and tiredness has been pulling at him now that there's no imminent danger. The only people with Tommy are Minx, CPK and Tubbo.</p><p>Minx grabs her drink bottle from the floor and takes a swig. She sits down and turns on the TV, flicking through channels before settling on some dumb telenova.</p><p>Tommy is very aware of Tubbo's presence on the couch next to him. He still doesn't really understand whatever Fundy was rambling on about, but he does remember Fundy saying that the day that he lived was in a different reality or timeline or something. That means that he can't know if his friend still has any interest in stabbing him this time.</p><p>Tommy, Tubbo and Minx all get a notification at the same time. Tommy opens his phone to see a message from Wilbur. </p><p>"Is something happening?" CPK asks.</p><p>Tommy stares at the message in shock.</p><p>"They found Fundy and Sylvee. They're both… dead." Minx says, her voice wavering.</p><p>It doesn't feel real. Tommy hopes with all his heart that the timeline can be reset again.</p><p> </p><p>____</p><p> </p><p>They gather around the central table in the cafeteria. It's strange, Tommy thinks, how even after dying, himself, the death of a friend hits so hard. </p><p>Surely Fundy won't stay dead. </p><p>He could reset the timeline, but he doesn't like to think about it too much, not when it's activated by his own death and there's no guarantee that he won't <i>stay</i> dead this time.</p><p>As much as he wants to, he's too scared to make such a… Commitment. It doesn't seem like a risk worth taking.</p><p>"Alright." Wilbur says. "Who was on the middle deck?"</p><p>Everyone is silent.</p><p>"I was." Tommy finally admits. "It was just… me and them."</p><p>He shrinks in his seat at the table. He's the only one who was close to the scene of the crime. This doesn't look good at all. </p><p>Scott squeezes Tommy's shoulder in an attempt at reassurance.</p><p>"You said you separated. What else happened?" Wilbur asks.</p><p>"I didn't see or hear anything. They just disappeared. I'm sorry."</p><p>"It's okay Tommy." Scott says. "We'll figure this out."</p><p>Sparklez crosses his arms. "I don't know… He was the last one to see them alive, wasn't he? He doesn't have an alibi."</p><p>"But it couldn’t have been Tommy, there's no way he could take two people out." Scott argues.</p><p>Tommy tries not to feel offended. This is a high stakes situation.</p><p>"Minx, what do you know?" Wilbur turns his attention to her.</p><p>"Not much. Tommy was acting pretty normal. He didn't seem like he was trying to hide anything from me. I was alone with him and nothing happened."</p><p>"But why would anyone kill Fundy and Sylvee but leave Tommy?" Tubbo interjects. "It seems like too much of a risk."</p><p>Tommy's hands are shaking. He clasps them together and holds them under the table. Why are his hands shaking? He's a Big Man. Surely there's gotta be a way he can prove his innocence. </p><p>Wilbur makes eye contact with Tommy. "Well, whoever it was tried to push the reactor into a meltdown, which would have killed <i>everyone</i>. We can't assume that they're thinking logically, or have any sense of self-preservation."</p><p>"Could it have been Phil?" Tubbo asks. "He is in the cockpit, he could have left, attacked people and then gone back for the perfect alibi."</p><p>"That does make sense." Scott agrees. "I think it was probably Phil and Tommy."</p><p>Fundy's <i>dead.</i> His friend is dead. Despair claws at his gut. The room feels stifling.</p><p>Fundy is dead.

</p><p>"It wouldn't have been Phil." Wilbur says. "He didn't leave the cockpit."</p><p>"Can we at least do something with Tommy to remove him from the equation?" Sparklez suggests. "Your brig is safe, isn't it? I think it would be better to not have him running around."</p><p>"Wouldn't he be… vulnerable?" Minx asks.</p><p>Yeah, wouldn't he be a sitting duck for a murderer to attack him, leaving everyone else none the wiser? Sparklez doesn't really seem to understand how Shitty this ship is, and how very unsafe the brig is for prisoners.</p><p>Safety of prisoners had never mattered before, since there's never been reason to ever use the brig.</p><p>Wilbur sighs. "I think it's a risk we have to take. Tommy, do you have any defence?"</p><p>"I'm innocent, I swear! I don't know how they even died!" His voice cracks a little, and he would, on a normal day, be a bit embarrassed.</p><p>Even surrounded by people he considered friends, Tommy feels incredibly alone.</p><p>His only real ally was Fundy. Who is dead. Hadn't Fundy said that telling everyone what happened make them targets? He can't explain himself, and there's no one to back him up. This is way worse than he was expecting. He's gonna die, isn't he? He's gonna die.</p><p>Wilbur just watches him sadly. "I'm sorry, Tommy. We'll sort this out - you don't have to worry."</p><p>"But why would I kill them! I have no reason to!" He stands, slamming his hands against the table. "Wilbur! Why don't you trust me?"</p><p>Minx flinches at the noise.</p><p>"There's no reason for anyone to do this." Scott says. "Tommy, let's go to the brig. We've already decided."</p><p>Tommy feels angry, and scared, and broken hearted and betrayed and stressed. He can hear his heartbeat in his ears. </p><p>Tears prick at his eyes, but he does his best to not shed them - if he allows himself to cry he knows that he's just going to completely fall apart. He should stay strong and sturdy... even if there isn't a reason to, it's something simple to focus on.
</p><p>Tommy does his best to calm himself. The only hope he has is to prove that he is safe by being compliant. He steps away from the table, burying his still shaking hands in his pockets.</p><p>Scott leads him down the hallway, Wilbur trailing them.</p><p>Tommy's legs feel unstable, as if they could just break under him. He feels a bit dizzy with stress.</p><p>He really hadn't expected this. But he should've. He never should have wandered away from Fundy. Why didn't he tell Fundy what he was doing, or even drag Fundy down the hallway with him?</p><p>From behind, he hears Minx. "I would have thought you'd be a bit more… upset, Tubbo."</p><p>"I just… don't know what to think anymore. It's all been so… sudden."</p><p>"Don't worry, we're gonna make things right." Minx says.</p><p>The conversation isn't audible anymore. "Down the ladder." Wilbur says.</p><p>Tommy doesn't bother with any kind of resistance, just doing as he's told. It <i>would</i> be nice to distance himself from what's happening, even if it removes his control over the situation. It would allow him to properly calm down and figure things out. Probably</p><p> </p><p>Wilbur opens the door to the brig, and Tommy steps in. He sits on one of the beds.</p><p>"Okay, uh, stay safe." Scott says.</p><p>"I don't have very much control over that, do I?" Tommy deadpans.</p><p>Wilbur closes the door, locking it. "Again, I'm sorry. I don't want to do this, but it's necessary."</p><p>Tommy sighs. "I get it. Just, deal with this quick? And don't let anyone else die."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I've been sick for four days straight, and haven't gotten a single thing done, so this chapter is a bit longer so I feel like I've actually accomplished something.</p><p>[Edit: turns out I'm not that good at writing while sick, so made some minor edits to make it a bit more compelling. I'm still sick though, so it's probably not great. I'll probably make a few more adjustments when I post the next chapter. Probably shouldn't have posted this so early]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Separated From Darkness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy kicks at the wall in boredom. The brig is an extremely uninteresting room - smaller than his bedroom but with twice the capacity, having four beds that take up the majority of what little floorspace there is. The walls are blank white, with a greyer tiling close to the vinyl floor. It's incredibly bland, and has a sterility to it that makes Tommy feel a bit too much like a lab rat. The brig's walls have three doors.</p><p>One leads out into the cargo bay. Tommy's tried everything he can to get it open, but it's definitely one of the sturdiest parts of the ship.</p><p>The other is opposite to the exit, and it leads into the small, closet sized bathroom, with only a toilet, sink and shower with no curtain.</p><p>The third, Tommy doesn't look at. He tries to not think about it; to forget that it's even there.</p><p> </p><p>…It attaches to the airlock.</p><p> </p><p>…Effectively making the brig a secondary layer of the airlock, able to be opened from the cargo bay without anyone outside of the brig being affected…</p><p> </p><p>He hates this, he really does. Tommy has never been the type to enjoy spending time sitting down, unable to do anything and unable to talk to anyone. The ceiling is bland, too, plain white with a circular light and the faintest water stain in the corner. </p><p>He hates this. Frustrated, he stands and walks to the exit door, looking out. The cargo bay is entirely empty.</p><p>"Hello!?" He shouts, "I'm tired of this! This is so <i>fucking</i> stupid!" There isn't anyone to hear him, since they're probably running around murdering each other while he's <i>stuck</i>. </p><p>He slams his hands against the faux-glass, but it doesn't even rattle in its seal. His hands sting, his palms having reddened from his continued attempts at breaking out. Not that he ever thought that he could break out. It only hurts a little bit to try.</p><p>With a sigh of defeat, he sits back down on a bunk, leaning down to unlatch and pull open the door to the small cupboard in the floor. It's the emergency food supply for prisoners in case the crew doesn't give him any food for whatever reason, and so, the selection is extremely bland. After a second of hesitation, he pulls out a nutrient bar and shuts the lid again, sitting back as he unwraps it.</p><p>He's not hungry, but at least eating is something to <i>do</i>.</p><p>The bar itself tastes terrible, like pure, dry but nauseating nothingness, and helps make it really hit home how much Tommy regrets every decision he's ever made that's led up to this point.</p><p>This would really suck as a last meal.</p><p>He's startled from his thoughts at a loud clang and yelling. He leaps to his feet, almost hitting his head on the upper bunk, and steps to the door to stare out into the cargo bay.</p><p>He's taken aback by what he sees.</p><p>A fire extinguisher, dented on one side, is rolling away from the ladder. CPK, on the floor, scrambles to grab it.</p><p>"Sparklez!" the man screams desperately. "Help me!"</p><p>Scott drops down from the upper deck, landing awkwardly. The man kicks the fire hydrant away from CPK's reach, holding... scissors?</p><p>CPK flinches back, hurriedly pulling himself to his feet and widening the distance from himself and Scott, until his back is against the wall and he has nowhere to run. "Scott, please, don't do this - just back away and I won't tell anyone, I'll forget this ever happened, <i>please.</i>"</p><p>Scott doesn't falter, striding up to CPK.</p><p>This really doesn't look good. Tommy's completely unable to intervene, trapped inside the brig. </p><p>"Scott!" He finds himself yelling without thinking. Scott turns around in panic at the sound, but shifts to amusement when he sees it's only Tommy. He waves lazily to Tommy, who's rendered speechless.</p><p>What the fuck.</p><p>What the fuck is happening.</p><p>Scott turns back to CPK, who used the opportunity to step further away from Scott and slightly closer to the fire extinguisher, but is now cornered. Tommy slams his hand against the door again. "Scott! What are you doing?!"</p><p>At that moment, Sparklez drops down the ladder like a fireman, landing expertly. He glances around the room, taking everything in before, in a second, stepping forward, pulling a gun out and holding it to Scott's head in one smooth motion.</p><p>"Scott. Do you mind… enlightening me to what is happening here?" Sparklez says coldly. "Because it looks a lot to me like you're doing something."</p><p>Scott drops the scissors, holding his hands up. CPK darts away to stand behind a crate.</p><p>"Well, uh, CPK tried attack Tommy. I was trying to protect him, and I <i>may</i> have gotten carried away. This <i>is</i> a very high stress situation." Scott says, laughing awkwardly.</p><p>Sparklez tilts his head to look towards Tommy, his grip on the gun remaining confident. "Is this true, Tommy?"</p><p>Tommy feels his face pull into a grimace. "Not at all." </p><p>Sparklez nods, and then looks to CPK. "And what do you have to say?"</p><p>"…I was just in the upper storage room, when Scott ran at me with scissors. I was understandably very scared, so I grabbed a fire hydrant to try and defend myself, but then he kicked me down the hole to this deck. I was lucky he didn't knock me out."</p><p>"I can’t help but believe CPK here, Scott." Sparklez says.</p><p>Scott slightly lowers his hands. "It's just his word against mine. We already know that Tommy isn't to be trusted here, <i>he's in prison</i>."</p><p>"CPK, call the others. Looks like we need to have an argument about this."</p><p>CPK pulls out his phone, frantically typing something. "They should be on their way now."</p><p>Sparklez has hardly moved at all, holding his stance in a way that shows some kind of specialised training. Now that Tommy's looking for it, Sparklez quite obviously has status wherever he comes from.</p><p>The most obvious marker of this being the small, sleek laser gun he's holding. Handheld laser weapons are a rarity, as they're made from some of the scarcest materials in the known regions of the galaxy, and therefore are often worth more than a planet. Most people just use regular guns with bullets, or even swords for close, confined combat. But a laser gun that compact, rather than a large, bulky rifle? </p><p>Probably worth a couple of stars.</p><p> </p><p>What. The. Fuck.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, they are joined by Wilbur, Tubbo and Minx.</p><p>After a quick recap and many minutes of debate, it is decided that Scott is the guilty party, and now needs to be locked up.</p><p>"Hey, wait!" Tommy shouts. "Don't forget about me here! If you put Scott in here with me <i>he will kill me</i>!"</p><p>Wilbur looks over to him uncertainly. "That… is a concern. We have no evidence that they're working together, or even that we're right about either of them, really."</p><p>"Yeah, our aim is to try and keep as many people alive as possible, right? We can't really risk keeping them together." Tubbo agrees.</p><p>"I promise that I didn't kill anyone!" Tommy says. "Please don't lock me up with Scott. I <i>saw</i> what he tried to do to CPK."</p><p>"We only have one brig." Wilbur says. "So we have to make a decision here."</p><p>As the group talks, Minx wanders over to stand by Tommy. "How are you doing? Are you… holding up?"</p><p>("Do you have any other rooms that you can lock?" Sparklez asks.)</p><p>"It's… rough. This has been a really long day, hasn't it."</p><p>("I mean, we could bar one of them in a bedroom, or maybe the medbay, but that isn't guaranteed to keep them contained." Tubbo says.)</p><p>"Yeah." Minx says, staring off into the distance.</p><p>(Wilbur sighs "Keeping someone in the medbay blocks off our ability to use it. We don't know if someone might still get hurt.")</p><p>"Do you really think that I would kill someone?"</p><p>(CPK butts in, "Can we please just decide on something? I'm not comfortable with that man walking free!")</p><p>Minx closes her eyes, sliding down against the wall to sit on the floor. "I don't know. I don't know anything… You've never been the most stable person on this ship."</p><p>"Hey! What’s that supposed to mean!?"</p><p>("…There is one more option, isn't there?")</p><p>"Exactly what it sounds like. You're <i>batshit</i> crazy, most days. But you've never been… violent, so I can't really believe it."</p><p>("Wilbur, you had better not be thinking what it looks like you are." Tubbo says cautiously.)</p><p> </p><p>Tommy turns his attention back to the very important conversation happening across the cargo bay.</p><p>Tubbo and Wilbur stare at each other. "I don't want to do it. I would never do it, if we had the choice not to. But it might be necessary."</p><p>"What are you saying?" Sparklez asks.</p><p> </p><p>"What they're saying, <i>Sparklez,</i> is they could throw one of us out the airlock." Scott says, seemingly resigned to his fate.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just curious- a good ending or a bad ending? Which do you expect to happen, and which are you rooting for?</p><p>[I'm feeling better now, but updates are going to be rarer for the next month or so because of real-life things]</p><p>[Edit: changed Scott's weapon to scissors because I wasn't vibing with it]</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Under the Stars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"<i>What?!</i>" Minx shouts, "No way are we doing that!" She steps forward to stand in front of the airlock door, arms spread vaguely in an attempt to block it off. "Do you really think that you'll make the right call? That you won't regret this for the rest of your lives?"</p><p>"Minx." Wilbur says cautiously, his hands held in front of his chest, in a mock-surrender. "I'm not saying that we <i>should.</i> I just can't see our situation here getting any better. We have to consider every possibility to ensure the survival of innocent people." He stares past Minx, out the windows to the void. When he speaks, he sounds distant. "I hate it. I wish I never bought this ship, took this job, let any of you get into danger. As captain, it's my duty to protect my crew. Fundy's death is on <i>me</i>."</p><p>"Wilbur-" Tubbo says, but Wilbur holds a hand up to silence him. </p><p>"We need to put all of that aside, and come up with a plan." He says.</p><p>CPK backs away from the group. "I - I don't know what you're planning to do here, but I can't be involved in this." The man looks nervous, slightly disturbed, and seems to be considering that long term guilt Minx mentioned. With one last glance to the group, he leaves, climbing up the ladder. </p><p>Tommy slams his fist against the glass of the door. "Hey! How can you possibly be actually considering any of this! I'm completely innocent - just let me out, I swear I didn't hurt anyone!"</p><p>He's really gonna die, isn't he?<br/>
His friends and family are going to kill him.</p><p>"Yes, <i>but we don’t know that</i>" Wilbur says. He looks around, seeming at a loss for words.</p><p>Why don't they trust him!?</p><p>(Did they ever trust him?)</p><p>Sparklez crosses his arms. "Soot, are you willing to prioritise your crew over your family? If we really do throw someone out, can we trust you to make a fair decision?"</p><p>"I agree with that!" Scott shouts. "Wilbur is biased, and that means that <i>I could die</i> because of that!"</p><p>Tommy slams the glass again. "Hey! You're just saying that he knows me better, which is proof of my innocence here! You all know that I would never kill anyone! <i>Please don't kill me!</i>"</p><p>He'd never really expected that he'd be at this point, <i>begging</i> people he thought would stick by his side 'til the end to not <i>execute</i> him.</p><p>Why is Minx the only one defending him here? </p><p>He always knew that Wilbur would have to force himself to think of the grand scheme of things (always trying to be noble and all that shit), but why isn't Tubbo doing anything?</p><p>Every breath he takes is closer to a sob. "Can you at least get Phil?" He pleads.</p><p>He can see the agony in Wilbur's eyes as he shakes his head. "I can't."</p><p>Sparklez sighs. "Look. We can't just stand here all day. We need to come to a decision."</p><p>Wilbur relaxes slightly, his expression shifting slightly from guilty to determined. "Right. Tommy, Scott, are you both certain that you cannot both stay in the brig? You aren't just working together and--"</p><p>"Of course not! I haven't done anything, if you put him in here with me, he'll attack me like he went after CPK!"</p><p>"No!" Scott says, struggling in his handcuffs. "No way you're leaving me alone with Tommy!"</p><p>Sparklez makes eye contact with Wilbur. "If they were working together, then they'd rather admit that than risk their own lives. If your reactor really was sabotaged by two people, then there's still someone among us that was working with one of them."</p><p>" - that's assuming that they're thinking rationally. Which they're obviously not, since the reactor meltdown would have killed everyone, including the saboteurs." Tubbo interrupts. "Whatever their motivation is, they clearly don't care about their own lives."</p><p>"<i>But we can't just kill the wrong person!</i>" Minx shouts. "Are you even listening to yourselves?!"</p><p>Ignoring her, Wilbur continues Tubbo's thoughts, "so this could be a last ditch attempt to manipulate us to let one of them go so that he could continue their attacks. It's possible."</p><p>"And knowing what they've already done, of course they’re willing to risk their lives to get another opportunity to kill us."</p><p>"<i>Am I the only one with a conscience here!<i>" Minx screams. "Why are you all being so <i>fooking analytical</i> over our friends' lives!"</i></i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Minx, it's okay." Tommy mumbles. "I get it. They have to."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>She turns to look, appalled, but doesn't say anything. Her eyes are wide, searching for something in Tommy's face, but doesn't find it.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Tommy's a child." Sparklez says. "Legally, he can't be tried equally to an adult, nor receive an equal or worse punishment. I actually <i>saw</i> Scott try and hurt CPK, while we only have circumstantial evidence for Tommy. If we're getting rid of someone, it should be Scott."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"How about we just stick to one of our original ideas, and lock Tommy in medbay, and Scott in the brig? We could block off the door or something - we could use reinforcement tape, just <i>don't kill anyone!</i>" Minx begs.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Tommy isn't very strong. That could probably work." Wilbur agrees. "But there's still a chance that he could get out -"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"I don't care. That's a risk that I'm sure we're all willing to take if it means that we don't kill the wrong person." Minx says.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Tommy can tell what Wilbur's thinking. As his brother surveys the room, he's considering who's vouching for who. Minx is aligning herself more with Tommy, meaning that they could be partners in crime. Sparklez and CPK are supporting each other, but Tommy is vouching for both of them, so Wilbur would know that it's not the two of them. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Looks like Fundy's weird theories weren't right, because the only ones who aren't actively working <i>against</i> Scott are Wilbur and Tubbo. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Wilbur's acting normal.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Process of elimination means that the other murderer has to be Tubbo. Just like the last time, when he killed him. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Things haven't changed, Tommy's just lived longer this time.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Wilbur, we're thinking the same thing here. We know that there's two murderers, but almost everyone here is supporting me." He feels weirdly comforted by the growing alarm on Tubbo's face. "Scott's partner can only be-"</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>At that moment, Scott jumps forward and kicks Sparklez at the back of his knees, knocking him to the ground. Even taken off guard, Sparklez strategically lands on top of his gun to stop Scott from grabbing it.  Tubbo runs forwards and punches Minx in the face, shoving her away from the airlock. Sparklez rolls over and points the gun at Tubbo.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"Kid, I really don't want to shoot you."</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"I know." Tubbo says, and slams his hand against a button on the control panel. The door between Tommy and the airlock slides open.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>Oh no.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Scott kicks Sparklez's hand, sending the gun flying across the room. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>He really is going to die. Everything is unfolding in front of it, and he's completely powerless.</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>"<i>No!</i> Wilbur runs forward and tackles Tubbo, but before he makes contact, Tubbo hits a second button.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The outer airlock door opens. The brig immediately depressurises, sending Tommy flying out. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He remembers the stupid courses he had to take in school. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He breathes out. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>With this last breath, he tries to scream, but of course, no one can hear it. He's in space. And he's gonna die in about two minutes. He'll pass out in less than thirty seconds.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He's strangely calm.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>(Shock, probably.)</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>(But it's not even the first time he's died.)</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>His body continues to float away from the ship. Through the airlock window, he can glimpse the laser gun going off. Maybe he's been avenged. Or maybe he's now completely doomed, nobody left to even try and rescue him.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>His heartbeat pounds in his ears, the only sound he can hear.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>He always expected space to be cold, but it's not.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Held in front of him, his hands swell slightly, and he can already see faint bruises forming. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The corners of his eyes crackle slightly. Is he crying, or is his blood starting to boil?</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>What does it matter, anyway? </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>It's probably both.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>His lungs scream for air.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>It's getting harder to keep his eyes open.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>It's so dark. He misses the sun.</i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>The stars drift past him. </i>
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>They fade away into the darkness.</i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alternative chapter title: Yeeted</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Player One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing Tommy does when he wakes up is take a deep, deliberate breath. Breathing feels so nice. He's never really appreciated it so much before. </p>
<p>He pulls the blanket over his shoulder, wrapping himself in it tightly, then rolls over to stare at the wall. </p>
<p>He's not dead.</p>
<p>What does this mean? </p>
<p>If he's being sent back through time and Fundy wasn't, would that mean that Fundy <i>is</i> from an alternate universe? Is this some convoluted web of timelines, some strange force pulling universes to connect and flow into each other?</p>
<p>He's not awake enough for this. </p>
<p>He was never one for bullshit physics and theoretical time mechanics.</p>
<p>Minx had said something about ghosts, hadn't she? It <i>would</i> be his luck that some supernatural being singled him out to mess with.</p>
<p>That headache from before is bullying his brain, so he prefers to abandon any attempts at detective work and just… rest his eyes a bit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He's pulled out of the fogginess of sleep by the activation of the alarms. The loud noise is impossible to tune out, as much as he'd like to get a proper sleep for the first time in, what, two days? </p>
<p>(Do timelines that don't exist count? He's still tired, anyway.)</p>
<p>Tommy is slow to pull himself out of his bed. By the time he's even sitting up, Tubbo had climbed down from the top bunk, shuffled through some things, and disappeared out the door.</p>
<p>Shit. Tubbo.</p>
<p>Tommy stumbles out of his bed, his feet tangled in the blankets. He catches himself on the floor with his hands, pushing himself back up to run after Tubbo. The palm of his left hand stings a bit from skidding against the rug, but it's not worse than when he kept hitting the glass.</p>
<p>Everyone is standing in the hallway, as usual. </p>
<p>(Is this going to become his new normal, repeating everything until he just goes insane?)</p>
<p>"Oh no. Oh fuck. It was - <i>fuck.</i>"</p>
<p>"It was <i>what?</i>" Tommy says impatiently</p>
<p>Fundy's hands drop to his sides, and he stares through Tommy into the far distance.</p>
<p>"It was… real." he breathes.</p>
<p>____<br/>____</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"What was real?" Tubbo asks him, looking between Tommy and Fundy in confusion. Fundy isn't really paying attention. Thoughts are racing through Fundy's head, too chaotic to focus on. </p>
<p>He's not dead, but he <i>died.</i></p>
<p>Fundy stares at Tommy, not for any particular reason, but the kid is something to try and focus on. He's already trying to form a plan. The first thing Fundy needs to do is <i>not</i> look crazy. From everyone's reactions, it seems like no one else remembers Sparklez going on a murderous rampage. He needs to stay <i>calm</i>, so that they don't just think he's gone crazy. Fundy pulls himself out of his thoughts, forcing himself to remember to focus on what's happening around him.</p>
<p>Tommy is glaring at Tubbo. Tubbo is just staring at Fundy.</p>
<p>"…This didn't happen last time." Tubbo says cautiously. </p>
<p>"Is something going on?" Wilbur asks.</p>
<p>Tubbo strides forwards and grabs Fundy by upper arms. "Fundy! Do you… <i>Do you remember?</i>" Tubbo looks excited, a bit crazed, a lot relieved. </p>
<p>"<i>Get off him!</i>" Tommy yells, and <i>tackles Tubbo to the ground.</i></p>
<p>"What the fuck!?" Tubbo screams as he hits the floor painfully, Tommy landing next to him with a thud.</p>
<p>Fundy steps back hurriedly </p>
<p>"WOAH! <i>Tommy</i>!" Phil shouts, pulling a struggling Tommy away from Tubbo. "What has gotten into you?"</p>
<p>Fundy tears his eyes away from the ordeal, watching Sparklez. </p>
<p>"<i>How could you, Tubbo? Why!?</i>"</p>
<p>The man is observing the fight carefully, looking shocked but still somehow neutral. He's probably hoping that everything is going to escalate. He has an air of professionalism to him - an assassin? </p>
<p>Fundy can't think of anyone in the crew doing anything to warrant them being taken out by a hired gun.</p>
<p>Wilbur helps a dazed Tubbo to his feet. "You right?"</p>
<p>Tubbo blinks. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine."</p>
<p>"<i>What do you think you're doing?</i>" Phil scolds Tommy.</p>
<p>"Tubbo killed me!" Tommy shouts. "Twice! He stabbed me with a sword and then threw me out the airlock!"</p>
<p>Phil sighs. "Tommy, no, he didn't. It was just a bad dream. I understand that you weren't entirely awake but attacking Tubbo-"</p>
<p>"No it wasn't! It was <i>real!</i>" Tommy pulls himself out of Phil's grip on his shoulders. "Fundy! You can back me up here!"</p>
<p>Everyone is suddenly looking at Fundy. He feels a bit vulnerable. "Well, I mean, I didn't see Tubbo do anything…"</p>
<p>"That's because <i>you</i> were already dead."</p>
<p>"oh."</p>
<p>"Can someone tell me <i>what the hell is going on here</i>?" Wilbur groans, massaging his head.</p>
<p>"This isn't the first time I've lived through today! It's the third!" Tommy says. "And I know that Scott and Tubbo are murderers!"</p>
<p>"What?" Scott says.</p>
<p>"Wait, no, it's Sparklez." Fundy says. </p>
<p>Tubbo pushes himself between them. "Guys, I already have it figured out. <i>It's a different person every time.</i>" He says in exasperation. </p>
<p>Tommy stares wide eyed at Tubbo, before flicking to make eye contact with Fundy over Tubbo's head. Tommy mouths something to him. Fundy just shrugs.</p>
<p>He's only lived today once, while it seems like the others somehow have had <i>more</i> experience with today. How is that even possible?</p>
<p>"I - I mean, that does make sense - " Tommy says helplessly, "but why should I trust you? Is there some kind of pattern to this?"</p>
<p>"I don't know. That's what I've been trying to figure out. I just need more information."</p>
<p>"Fundy, do you remember our conversation?" Tommy asks.</p>
<p>"What conversation?"</p>
<p>"Looks like you don't. You came up with a theory that I didn't understand at all but -"</p>
<p>Wilbur interrupts, "Can we deal with the breach before we focus on whatever you're trying to figure out?"</p>
<p>"There isn't an actual urgency with the breach. It's a meteor that the ship sealed without issue." Tubbo says.</p>
<p>Wilbur shrugs. "Even if it's fine, someone should check. I'll quickly just make sure everything is fine. Don't kill anyone while I'm gone."</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>The group relocated to the lounge, and after a few attempts at casual conversation, fall into silence. Scott turns on the TV to a livestream of an aquarium.</p>
<p>The room is filled with peaceful, nonsense music.</p>
<p>Despite Tubbo's confidence in his theory, Fundy is still suspicious of Sparklez. He keeps a careful eye observing him, but Sparklez acts completely natural. Perhaps too natural, for such an unusual situation.</p>
<p>Fundy fiddles with his butterfly knife. It's a bit of a nervous habit. He finds the little clicks the knife makes comforting, grounding.</p>
<p>Tubbo shifts slightly in his seat, shuffling a bit closer to Phil. On Phil's other side, Tommy is wrapped in a blanket and is mostly asleep leaning against his dad's shoulder. Phil gently rubs circles on Tommy's back, reminding the boy that he's not alone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There's a strange sort of peace.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fundy knows it won't last.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Lying in Wait</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eventually, Fundy breaks the pseudo-silence in the lounge. "Tubbo, tell me what you know." </p><p>Tubbo sits up. "Well, this is the… fourth? Time that I've lived through today."</p><p>"I've only lived through today once. Are you sure that this isn't some kind of shared hallucination?"</p><p>Tubbo shrugs. "It could be, but I really doubt it. So, you don't remember any of the times you killed me, or whatever it was Tommy was talking about?"</p><p>"I <i>killed</i> you?" </p><p>Why would he ever - how could he ever? Tubbo is so innocent and friendly, why would Fundy ever want to hurt Tubbo? What could possibly happen in the timelines he doesn't remember to make him hurt <i>Tubbo?</i></p><p>No wonder Tubbo has looked nervous around him.</p><p>"Yeah, but so did Phil." Tubbo says, his voice and expression far too casual. Fundy still feels the phantom memory of Sparklez's gunshot in his chest - how hard has it been for Tubbo, to live and die over and over?</p><p>"Are you okay?" Fundy finally asks.</p><p>Tubbo waves his hand. "Yeah, it never even happened."</p><p>Tommy snores. Phil listens into their conversation sadly, guilt written on his face for a crime that he has yet to commit. Phil wraps his arm around the sleeping Tommy.</p><p>"You know that's not what I - whatever, we'll talk about this later. Do you know <i>how</i> you and I are looping?"</p><p>Tubbo fiddles with a tube of glue, capping and uncapping it as he thinks. "I have no idea <i>why</i> it happens, how it's possible, but I always get sent back because I die. I've been thinking that if I just survive long enough, we'll make it out the other side of this."</p><p>"Ideally, you won’t die after this, so we won't find out if it worked until one of us dies of old age, huh?"</p><p>Tubbo chuckles hollowly, elbows resting on his legs as he looks at the carpet. "Yeah."</p><p>Minx lays down on the couch, tapping on her drink bottle absently. "So, you guys have all <i>died?</i> Do you know why anyone would kill us?"</p><p>Fundy shrugs. "I had thought that it was some kind of over the top assassination, but if <i>I</i>was involved in it then that doesn't make any sense."</p><p>"Yeah." Tubbo agrees, "When Wilbur was… a murderer… he started acting really loopy and unstable. Someone hired to kill us wouldn't… break like that."</p><p>Tommy jerks awake with a whimper. Phil pats him gently on the back. "It's okay Tommy, we're here. We're alright."</p><p>"Oh wait, I forgot. Me telling everyone this probably makes me a huge target." Tubbo says, looking regretfully at Tommy. There's some kind of story there, but Fundy doesn't feel like prying. "We may be the first to die - <i>Fundy</i> you said something about me being a looper? Do you know what that is?"</p><p>"What, no I didn't…" Fundy trails off, feeling a bit dumb. Tubbo's talking about a "loop" that he doesn't remember. He could have said or done anything. (<i>like murdering Tubbo.</i>) He runs a hand through his hair, coming into contact with the clump of glue attaching the fabric ears to his hair. Damn, he forgot about those. "uh, no, I don’t know what a looper is. But it definitely seems like the name for someone in a time loop… As if that's something fairly common."</p><p>Tommy rubs the sleep from his eyes. "Have you said anything important I've missed?" He asks, yawning.</p><p>Tubbo yawns too. "Not really. Tommy, what were your time loops like?"</p><p>Tommy blinks tiredly. "Is that what we're calling them? Loops?" He pulls himself from Phil, sitting up properly and propping his feet up on the coffee table. "Not much. As I said, both times, it was <i>you and Scott.</i> I still don't know that this isn’t some kind of long-con you're pulling to get me to trust you."</p><p>"You had the same people both times?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>"Yeah. First time you stabbed me, and the next you pushed me out of the airlock." </p><p>"Oh. I'm sorry."</p><p>Tommy squints sceptically at Tubbo. "… I can't tell if you're being genuine or not there. But you haven't done it yet, I suppose."</p><p>"Is there any pattern to who the attackers are?" Sparklez asks.</p><p>"I've only lived one loop, so I dunno." Fundy says.</p><p>"It might have been Fundy all three times? In my first loop, the other was probably Tommy, the next Phil and yesterday, definitely Wilbur."</p><p>"Yesterday?" Sylvee says, quirking an eyebrow.</p><p>Tubbo rolls his eyes. "You know what I meant. </p><p>"Did any of the murderers do anything that might have separated them from everyone else, made them vulnerable to being switched out or targeted by an external force?" Sparklez prods.</p><p>Tubbo sits back. "I was thinking about that - I think it might have something to do with the breach, or the cargo bay. I think something happens down there."</p><p>"What, though?"</p><p>Tubbo grimaces. "I have no idea... Wilbur seemed <i>possessed</i>..."</p><p>"By what - a ghost?" Tommy asks, looking nervous.</p><p>"Maybe. Tommy, was there any pattern to what me and Scott did?"</p><p>Tommy shakes his head. "No. Both times it was Wilbur and Fundy who went to check the breach. You two stayed up here on the top floor, before you probably snuck down to try and sabotage things."</p><p>"Okay." Tubbo says, thinking intently. "So maybe there's less of a pattern than I'd thought."</p><p>Fundy doesn't like this uncertainty. He likes working with coding, where you <i>can't</i> just guess a pattern, or even work without finding it. There has to be a reason for what's going on, and when he finds it, he can figure out how to stop anyone from getting hurt.</p><p>Wilbur appears at the door to the lounge, leaning against the frame, arms crossed, as he observes the room. "Well, have you decided on a plan of action yet? We can't just spend the whole day sitting around, there's things to be done, most notably, sleeping."</p><p>"I second that." Phil says. "It's way too early in the morning for any of this. It's like a slumber party, but none of this is fun."</p><p>"Alright." Wilbur says clapping his hands. "Looks like I'm taking charge here. Kids, get to bed, if you can. Everyone else, if you feel too awake for that, there's a few things on middle deck that we might as well get done."</p><p>"I don’t think I'm getting back to sleep." Tommy grumbles. "I might as well do something." He stands, and looks turns to hold his hand out to Tubbo. "Do you want to come with?" He asks. Tubbo takes his hand to stand next to his friend.</p><p>The group disperses, some disappearing into their rooms while others wander around the ship. </p><p>"I'm getting a coffee." Sylvee says.</p><p>Fundy isn't really sure what he should do. He definitely won't be able to sleep, but he doesn’t have anything he wants to do around the ship right now, and he's not sure if he should follow someone. Would it be best to try and protect Tubbo or Tommy? Should he choose someone to keep an eye on for suspicious behaviour?</p><p>"<i>Do you actually have a plan here?</i>" He hears Tommy whisper to Wilbur. </p><p>Wilbur says something in response, but it's too quiet for Fundy to hear.</p><p>"Hey Fundy," Tubbo says, "can the two of us stick together? I'm worried that I'll be killed before I can get any good information."</p><p>How strange. A child is more worried about his investigation than a death he sees as inevitable.</p><p>Fundy really, really hopes that this will be the last time anyone has to live through this day.</p><p>He hopes that maybe, this time, no one will get hurt.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>:)<br/>____<br/>Look at me, posting so rapidly. As always, I am fueled by comments</p><p>I have an exam in less than a week that I should be preparing for.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Failed Break-ins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When the group climbs down, most people disappear into the corridors of the ship. Phil wanders to check the engines, while Tommy follows Wilbur to deal with something wrong with the comms. The rest disappear into Admin.</p>
<p>Tubbo and Fundy are left in the cafeteria with Sylvee, who pours herself a drink and stirs it, looking at the two sceptically. </p>
<p>"So, what are the two of you going to do now?" She asks. Her spoon clinks against the side of her mug sharply.</p>
<p>"I guess our goal is to find out as much information as possible." Tubbo says. "I don't really expect to make it with everyone alive this time."</p>
<p>Sylvee takes a long sip, keeping eye contact. "Well, I can't say I'm confident in staying here the whole time, so I might as well follow you around. I might spot something you guys didn't."</p>
<p>"You were a pretty useful witness when you stuck around in the cafeteria, though." Tubbo says. "You staying here makes for a pretty good way to judge where people were."</p>
<p>She sighs, wrapping her hands around the mug, leaning back against the counter. "I don't really want to. You two might just both be crazy, but I trust you more than most people on this ship."</p>
<p>Fundy doesn't really like how Tubbo just <i>knows</i> so many things, how he's had so much more experience with all of this than Fundy, or anyone else on this ship. Fundy kind of feels like he wasted his loop, since all the information he had doesn't actually mean anything, if Tubbo is right.</p>
<p>"I don't really see any reason why not. We're not going to force you to do something you don't want to." Fundy says. Tubbo gives him a pained look, but doesn't object any further.</p>
<p>"How about we check the cargo bay?" Tubbo suggests. "I've already had a look in another loop, so I'll be able to see if anything is different."</p>
<p>Sylvee stands up from her lean to follow. "Is there any reason you're so focused on the breach?" She asks.</p>
<p>"Not really, but it's one of the only new things onboard the ship. I feel like it has to be related somehow." Tubbo answers. Fundy has an inkling of a feeling that he's right. </p>
<p>Fundy had wanted to look at the breach, see if there was anything interesting, but he hadn't been able to before he'd…</p>
<p>Yeah, he didn’t have the opportunity last time.</p>
<p>But now he has a second chance, and that's pretty nice. </p>
<p>As Fundy walks past Admin, he turns his head to look in through the door. Minx is sitting at one of the chairs by the ship structure scanning screens, while Spaklez and CPK listen to Scott as he explains the intricacies of the floorplan. </p>
<p>"The back corner of Electrical kind of sucks because there's a low hanging spot where you'll hit your head if you're not paying attention." Minx says. "Especially in the dark. 'S why I don't really go in there very often - no one does."</p>
<p>Fundy stops paying attention. "So, Tubbo. Do you have any ideas of what is making people… murderous?"</p>
<p>Tubbo hums. He grabs the top rungs of the ladder, stepping down. "Not really. It could be anything, though it's all pretty unlikely. Depends on whether you believe in aliens, or mind controlling tech, or… magic."</p>
<p>"I'd have to say that mind control… is the more likely option out of those." Sylvee says. "What would it be, a chip or something?"</p>
<p>"Maybe a radio frequency that makes people go crazy." Tubbo says. He reaches the bottom of the ladder and disappears from view. </p>
<p>Sylvee is the next to climb down. </p>
<p>Distantly, Fundy hears Tommy and Wilbur talking somewhere down the hallway.</p>
<p>"Give it to me Tommy."</p>
<p>"No. I want it, I'm keeping it."</p>
<p>"<i>Tommy</i>. Don't be so childish, I'll do better with it than you."</p>
<p>"Don't call me a child. I'm a man, and I can handle myself."</p>
<p>Fundy climbs down the ladder after Sylvee. </p>
<p>The cargo bay looks mostly as usual. A crate has been flipped on its side, the <i>this way up</i> sign pointing towards a big, demanding hunk of rock wedged into the hull.</p>
<p>"Well, that doesn’t look normal." Sylvee says, taking another sip from her mug. </p>
<p>Tubbo runs his fingers around the edges. "Everything looks the same. Looks like Wilbur didn't bother to try patching it up this time." He raps his knuckles against the rock. </p>
<p>Fundy half expects it to sound hollow or some kind of artificial, but it's just normal rock.</p>
<p>He shivers. A vent in the ceiling is blowing slightly-too-cold air. </p>
<p>"Should we check if there's something in the cargo?" Fundy suggests, gesturing to the upturned crate. "It could be something to do with that."</p>
<p>Tubbo nods. Fundy turns to the crate, grabbing the small, slightly rusted handles to heave it back upright. "How… do I open it." There isn't any obvious opening, on the top or the sides. Fundy runs it's hand along its surface, coming into contact with a small lump near the edge. It's a latch, held shut by a small keyhole.</p>
<p>Tubbo crouches next to him for a second, reaching over to tug at the latch. "Looks like we'll need something to pick or break the lock."</p>
<p>Fundy stands up, looking around the cargo bay. There's usually simple tools mounted on the wall by the water tanks, but nothing that could work for this. He walks into the storage room. The main storage room is fairly miscellaneous. On a shelf slightly above eye level, there's a toolbox. Fundy pulls it forward, placing one hand on the base as he drags it closer to himself. </p>
<p>It's heavier than he had expected, and he almost drops it on his head. He adjusts his posture, leaning back, to account for the weight, walking out of the room to carefully place it on the ground next to Tubbo. He opens the lid. Inside is a whole array of screwdrivers, welders, repair tapes and clamps. He can't see anything to break the lock.</p>
<p>"Do we have anything that can actually <i>break</i> the lock?" Tubbo asks, sifting through the pile of tools. "Like, a weapon or something?"</p>
<p>"Not really. I don't have access to the weapons, or the deconstructors."</p>
<p>Tubbo sighs, grabbing a screwdriver and jamming it into the lock, as if trying to gouge the mechanism out. Nothing happens. He whacks the latch for good measure before tossing the screwdriver back into the box. "I guess we could just <i>ask</i> what's in the crates."</p>
<p>"Would your captain take in strange, mind control tech knowingly?" Sylvee says.</p>
<p>"…Okay, good point. But trying to break in was a waste of time."</p>
<p>Fundy picks up the tools, dropping them back into the box. He clicks the box shut. Should he even bother putting it away?</p>
<p>He might as well, so he heaves the box back up. All this heavy lifting is hurting his shoulders. He goes back into the storage room, and drops it on the floor. He's not bothered to put it back on the shelf. His shoulders don't deserve it. He walks back out and closes the door behind himself.</p>
<p>Was it actually closed before? Should he just leave it open? Why does he care.</p>
<p>Sylvee points her mug at the meteor. "Are we just going to be leaving that there?"</p>
<p>"Yeah." Fundy says. "It's blocking the breach, we won't have time to bend the metal back in place before all the air in the ship goes out." He points at the vent above Sylvee's head. "That one doesn't close. We've been meaning to fix it, but it's never really been a problem. We'll fix the breach when we're back on planetside."</p>
<p>"It just doesn't seem particularly… safe." </p>
<p>Fundy shrugs, and with nothing left to be investigated down here, climbs back up the ladder. </p>
<p>"Tubbo, has there been anything you thought was weird?" </p>
<p>"Uh, yeah… there's a problem with Comms, Wilbur mentioned it, didn't he? There's a real strange connection issue, where practically everything is blocked off or limited. But not Rigel, which is nice because it can stay in contact with - Niki!" Tubbo pats his pockets, finding his phone and pulling it out of his pocket. "I almost forgot!"</p>
<p>He dials Niki, who picks up after a few seconds. "<i>Hey Tubbo, I can't really talk right now -</i>"</p>
<p>She sounds like she's running, and there's a lot of background noise. What's going on?</p>
<p>Tubbo interrupts her. "Turn right at Timekeeping."</p>
<p>"<i>What?</i>"</p>
<p>"Just trust me."</p>
<p>There's shuffling, as Niki probably puts her phone in her jacket pocket. Fundy can't decipher what could possibly be happening from the strange noises he hears, but it seems like Tubbo knows what he's doing.</p>
<p>The group relocate to the cafeteria to sit down while Tubbo deals with whatever this is. Fundy notices, as they pass by, that no one is in Admin anymore. Sylvee rinses out her mug at the cafeteria sink, setting it down on the counter with a clunk.</p>
<p>Eventually Niki speaks again. "<i>I don't know how you knew that, but thanks, I found Eret again.</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>Hello!</i>" Eret says. "<i>We've been separated from Techno, though. He's gone and parkoured across some roofs and cranes into a construction site across the river, and we are definitely not following. What happened was some dude -</i>"</p>
<p>"You don't have to explain it, just tell me everything you see going on." Tubbo says.</p>
<p>"<i>Uh.</i>" Eret sounds a bit put out. </p>
<p>Niki speaks, sounding further away in the distance, apparently having handed her phone to Eret. "<i>There's a gang war happening over the way. I think that might have been our fault? …Not what they're doing of course, but I think things were already really tense but then we and the bounty hunters kind of… made them snap? After just barging through districts and causing a lot of chaos. Oh! One of them just got stabbed, that's not good. There's a lot of smoke.</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>I can see Techno! He's climbing up a fire escape, following that guy in blue… They're pretty high up.</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>Where?</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>Look up there, that taller one with the gargoyles.</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>That doesn't look safe.</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>Not at all, but it's Techno… They've made it to the top, the green guy is up there! Where are the others?</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>I think they're on the ground.</i>"</p>
<p>An explosion rings out, and Fundy can hear windows rattling from the shockwave.</p>
<p>"<i>Woah, are you alright - did that guy just teleport?!</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>He's on our side of the river now! How did he -</i>"</p>
<p>There's another explosion, this one sounding closer. Niki screams.</p>
<p>"<i>Techno!</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>We have to go.</i>" Eret says, and ends the call.</p>
<p>The three of them are left in silence, taken aback by what they'd just heard. Tubbo dials Techno, but he doesn't pick up, and neither does anyone else when he tries.</p>
<p>"That doesn’t seem good." Sylvee finally says.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Memoriam</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fundy rests his forehead on the cafeteria table. "This is so <i>complicated</i> I don't understand. Tubbo, how are you even functioning right now?" The table is cold, like an icepack. He's so tired.</p><p>"I'm not really, but I think I've just had more loops than you, so I've learned how to handle it." Tubbo says.</p><p>Fundy scrunches his face, but no one can see it since he's still facedown on the table. "How does this even work? What even are the loops?"</p><p>Fundy can't see what Tubbo or Sylvee are doing, but he has the faint suspicion that they're gesturing and mouthing words to each other over his head. Tubbo eventually responds. "I dunno - I was thinking, what if you had the loop and then you gave it to me?"</p><p>"What do you mean?" The table is nice. The table is simple.</p><p>"Well, at the start of every day, you do the exact same thing… You have a weird freakout about your ears, and panic when Sparklez volunteers to go to the cargo bay."</p><p>"But I only did that today." The world is too complicated. His forehead is getting a bit sore. </p><p>"Exactly! You've been living the day after your one loop over and over and you've been <i>forgetting</i> that you did, so you do the same thing! Every day you think that it's still the second day!"</p><p>Fundy lifts his head from the table to squint at Tubbo. "…So you're saying that we've all been doing the same thing each time except for you and me, but then I stopped remembering what I did for every day except the first one, which <i>you don't</i> remember."</p><p>"Maybe this is purgatory." Sylvee mumbles.</p><p>Tubbo runs a hand through his hair, thinking. "I don't think it's that complicated. If we see every loop as a "day", then on Monday you lived your loop, and then every day you've been thinking it's Tuesday, but it's actually <i>Thursday</i> for me. Or Friday, since I don't remember Monday. But every day is just the same day, since we're in a time loop."</p><p>Fundy rubs at his eyes. "So, uh, where would Tommy fit into this, then?"</p><p>Tubbo's shoulders slump. "That's where I'm stumped. I don't think I've ever seen Tommy acting weird apart from when he's literally been trying to kill me." </p><p>Sylvee props her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her hand as she contemplates. "…What if there's been loops that <i>no one</i> remembers?" She suggests. "How do we know that we haven't just been living the same day over and over hundreds of times and not remembering? Doing the same thing over and over for eternity, until someone randomly holds onto the memory from last time and changes things?"</p><p>"Well, that's dark." Fundy says.</p><p>Their contemplative silence is broken by Scott running into the room. Scott pauses, leaning against the doorframe to pants. "Sparklez and Callum are dead." He gasps, shaking.</p><p>Shit.</p><p>Fundy leaps to his feet, running to Scott to support him so that the poor guy doesn't faint. Scott stumbles to the cafeteria table. "<i>A freaking bloodbath.</i>" He buries his head in his hands. "<i>Everywhere.</i>"</p><p>Oh fuck. </p><p>What does he do <i>what does he do</i>. </p><p>Two people are dead?</p><p>What can he possibly do.</p><p>Sylvee rubs reassuring circles on Scott's back. "Breathe with me. In, out." She encourages.</p><p>Scott just stares at the table blankly, his shivers slowly fading away. Eventually, Scott sits back, eyes closed.</p><p>"In medbay." He finally says. "I don't know who did it or how."</p><p>"I'll get the others." Tubbo says, and disappears from view. </p><p>"It'll be okay." Sylvee reassures. "We won't remember any of this. The loop will get reset and then it never happened."</p><p>Scott laughs bitterly. "Yeah."</p><p>Fundy looks at Sylvee, making deliberate eye contact. "Well, someone <i>has</i> to. So we don't allow the same thing to happen again."</p><p>"Well, that person <i>won't</i> be Scott." She says determinedly. "Whatever causes it, Scott will be fine."</p><p>Scott nervously crosses his arms. "I don't know why you're acting like I'm helpless. I'll be fine, I'm just a bit… shaken up. This isn't much worse that things I've already seen."</p><p>Wilbur walks in with Minx. "I heard from Tubbo that something's up?" He asks, unsure, and a bit taken aback by the scene in the cafeteria. "What's going on?"</p><p>"We should wait until everyone is here." Fundy prompts, gesturing to Minx and Wilbur to sit down.</p><p>About half a minute later, Tubbo appears, dragging Tommy behind him. "I don't know where Phil is." Tubbo says worriedly. "I couldn't find him anywhere. Have you seen him?" He asks the group.</p><p>There's silence. Tommy coughs. </p><p>"Have you tried calling him?" Minx asks, pulling out her phone. </p><p>"Yes." Tubbo says. "He didn't pick up."</p><p>Minx dials Phil anyway, and the call times out without any response from Phil. "This isn't good. The ship isn't that big, it's not like there's places for him to hide."</p><p>"This… isn't the first time." Tubbo murmurs. </p><p>"What?" Fundy asks.</p><p>Tubbo waves him off. "I was just thinking, in another loop, Phil just never showed up again, and I <i>didn't notice. He was probably dead.</i>"</p><p>"Are you okay, Tubbo?" Tommy asks, concern written on his face.</p><p>Tubbo frowns, looking annoyed. "I'm <i>fine.</i> Everyone keeps asking me that."</p><p>"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Wilbur begs. </p><p>Sylvee looks up, "Scott found Sparklez and CPK dead." She says.</p><p>"Well, you three really weren't making shit up." Minx says.</p><p>"…They were in medbay." Scott says. "In the corner. Just lying there." </p><p>"Does anyone have any idea of who it would be?" Sylvee asks, gaze flicking around the room.</p><p>"Remember, the killers don't have a motive. They don't really make any sense." Tubbo says firmly. "I think they've been <i>infected</i> by something, and aren't thinking right."</p><p>"Well, we know that it wasn't me, Tubbo or Sylvee." Fundy says. "We were together the whole time."</p><p>"So, that leaves Minx, Tommy, Wilbur, Scott and Phil, if he's… alive." Tubbo concludes.</p><p>Minx sits up. "I was with Scott for ages!" She says. "I just stayed in admin while he went to get something from one of the engine rooms."</p><p>Scott nods. </p><p>"I think we should find Phil before we throw any accusations around." Tommy suggests. </p><p>"Yeah, he could be in trouble." Tubbo says. "Or, it's him."</p><p>Tommy turns to climb up the ladder, but trips over his own feet, stumbling to the ground.</p><p> </p><p>A switchblade falls out of his pocket.</p><p>It clatters on the floor, landing next to Fundy's foot.</p><p>No.</p><p>
  <i>No.</i>
</p><p>"…Tommy?" Tubbo says.</p><p><i>Surely</i> not.</p><p>He picks it up.</p><p>Tommy pulls himself to his feet. "Well, that was a bit embarrassing." He chuckles awkwardly. </p><p>But Fundy isn't looking. He swivels the blade out, revealing a clean blade.</p><p>Tommy notices. "It's not what it looks like!" He shouts. "I - I have that for self-defence! <i>I don't want to die again!</i>"</p><p>Fundy turns it over in his hand. It looks innocent enough.</p><p>Where did Tommy even get this from?</p><p>As he begins to close it again, he notices something.</p><p> </p><p>In the hinge, is the tiniest bit of residue.</p><p><i>No</i>.</p><p> </p><p>In the cracks of the mechanism, too difficult to quickly wipe clean, is partially dried blood.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Wow, I've gotten some really nice comments in the past few days :D I love you guys so much.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Antepenultimate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"…Tommy." Fundy finally says.</p>
<p>Tommy backs away, his hands in front of him. "Seriously, I had nothing to do with the murders."</p>
<p>Minx, standing next to Fundy, looks over to the knife in his hand, and sees what he does.</p>
<p>"Tommy." Fundy says more firmly. "There's blood on this knife."</p>
<p>Sylvee covers her mouth in horror.</p>
<p>"Nonono," Tommy says, "I was - I wasn't - Wilbur, tell them, <i>please.</i>"</p>
<p>Wilbur grimly shakes his head. "I can't do that Tommy. I can't vouch for you."</p>
<p>"This is pretty solid evidence." Fundy says. "You were by yourself, and you are holding what is probably the murder weapon." He absently turns it over in his hands again. There's a faint smear of brown on his left hand. He tries, really hard, not to think too much about it.</p>
<p>"<i>Please,</i>" Tommy begs, "Don't lock me in the brig again."</p>
<p>Again? What happened in Tommy's loops? He slept through the majority of Fundy and Tubbo's conversation…</p>
<p>"We have to, don't we? You're clearly… not helping here, so we have to get you out of the… uh… equation until everything is sorted." Tubbo says.</p>
<p>"No! You'll just throw me out the airlock again!" Tommy shouts, backing further away until he collides with the wall behind him.</p>
<p>"We won't let anything happen to you." Wilbur says.</p>
<p>"<i>But you did! I died!</i>"</p>
<p>"I'm sorry." Tubbo says.</p>
<p>Tommy rubs at his eyes. "It's - it's…"</p>
<p>"…It's not like we can lock you in medbay." Scott murmurs, sounding distant. "Unless you feel more safe next to a couple of mangled bodies."</p>
<p>Ouch. That's an unpleasant image.</p>
<p>Scott looks up from the table and glares at Tommy. Tommy stares wide eyed back at him.</p>
<p>"Look, we have to make a choice." Wilbur says.</p>
<p>Fundy swivels the switchblade closed, setting it on the table. "I think we should put Tommy in the brig. We can have someone stay with him to make sure nothing happens."</p>
<p>The room falls into silence as the group think. Eventually, Sylvee holds up her hand. "I'll do it, if no one else wants to. I've been with Fundy and Tubbo this whole time, so you know it wasn't me." She makes eye contact with Fundy. "And I don't know nearly enough about what's going to really help with any more detective work."</p>
<p>Looks like Sylvee is trusting him to figure out what's going on and save everyone… Everyone who's left. No pressure. </p>
<p>With no protests, Fundy rests his hand on Tommy's shoulder. "Sorry about this. I… know you're not comfortable with this, but it's what we have to do."</p>
<p>Tommy just tiredly glares at him. His eyes are tinged the slightest bit red, contrasting with the blue of his eyes. Everyone is just too tired for this, no one really thinking straight. Tommy's eyes drop to the floor as he nods, and Fundy, Tommy and Sylvee walk to the brig. </p>
<p>Fundy does his best attempt at a smile as he closes the door behind Tommy, locking it. Tommy just sits on one of the beds and doesn't look at him.</p>
<p>"Are you gonna be alright down here?" Fundy asks Sylvee.</p>
<p>She shrugs. "I don't see why I wouldn't be. I might try my hand picking that lock." She points at the crate. "I'm happy to be bored if it means more people don't die."</p>
<p>Fundy nods, and climbs the ladder back up to the middle deck. </p>
<p>When he walks into the cafeteria, the only person still there is Tubbo. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"It wasn't Tommy." Tubbo says.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fundy's heart sinks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo looks up hurriedly. "I mean- it probably was him! But it <i>wasn't Tommy.</i> What he did, it wasn't his own free will. We both know that Tommy wouldn't choose to hurt anyone. Whatever it is controlling him, we have to find if there's a way to <i>get rid of it</i>."</p>
<p>Right. Tubbo was talking about this before. His theory of mind control.</p>
<p>It would be tragic, wouldn't it, if Tommy was stuck like this forever. He might as well be as dead as Sparklez and CPK.</p>
<p>"But what if we can't?" He finally asks.</p>
<p>"I don't know." Tubbo says. "I've been hoping that it's temporary, and reversible… But it could be something that permanently restructured Tommy's brain. Would it be right, to keep him locked up?"</p>
<p>Fundy crosses his arms. "Is it wrong to lock up people who hurt others because of mental instability? It's not like they <i>chose to</i> either. It's just in Tommy's case, it's been… induced somehow."</p>
<p>"Okay, this is getting too deep. Let's just try and not die." Tubbo says after a long pause.</p>
<p>"Yeah."</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>The two are standing in the hallway outside electrical as they theorise.</p>
<p>"There aren't many options of who the other one can be." Tubbo says. "We both know we're innocent, and so is Sylvee…"</p>
<p>"…And that only leaves Wilbur, Scott and Minx."</p>
<p>"Phil too. Wherever he is."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They've been looking for him, and the others probably are, too. </p>
<p>But he hasn't been in his room, the lounge, or anywhere on the top deck. </p>
<p>He's not in the cockpit, or comms, or by the engines.</p>
<p>Each room they've looked into has been empty.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Phil is just… gone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Is there any part of the ship that we just… don't know about?" Fundy suggests.</p>
<p>Tubbo thinks. "I don't think so? This doesn't look good. At all."</p>
<p>Because Phil doesn't have any reason to hide. If he was affected by what's got Tommy, he wouldn't just disappear, would he?</p>
<p>He's dead.</p>
<p>It's the only conclusion that makes sense. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Are they ever going to find his body?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I reread an old chapter to remember what's going on and what Fundy should remember, and wow, that one wasn't well written. Thanks for sticking with me even when the quality dips a bit :)</p>
<p>I've been thinking of trying to do some oneshots next month, since I'll probably have a lot of free time and I need to practice writing SHORT stories. (this was supposed to be 14 chapters!)<br/>If you have prompts or requests, please comment them or tell me on tumblr! (you don't need an account to use anon asks) If someone had an idea you like, maybe indicate that somehow?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Intermediate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I guess all we can do is check the admin table, it might have picked up on Phil's presence somewhere in the ship." Tubbo suggests.</p><p>Fundy spares one last glance into electrical before sliding the door shut, following Tubbo back the way they came down the hallway.</p><p>"I think I might have mentioned it before," Tubbo says, "but I talked with Wilbur while he was all murderous."</p><p>Fundy hums in acknowledgement.</p><p>"I've been thinking about it. It was like he was drunk. He was all giggly, and saying whatever seemed to come to mind."</p><p>"What, why?" Fundy asks.</p><p>"I think he just gave up faking innocence. It, it was like he'd lost all of his… inhit-inhibitions."</p><p>Fundy fiddles with the ears glued into his hair. Maybe he could get them out by snapping hairs one at a time, that would preserve his hairstyle, wouldn't it?</p><p>"…You think whatever is effecting them can't actually control them properly?"</p><p>Tubbo nods. "Wilbur can be a bit weird normally, what I saw was just an… enhanced version of that, I think."</p><p>Fundy clicks his fingers in realisation. "Like it's manipulating them to be murderous by completely removing their sense of restraint. Everyone thinks about attacking people sometimes, but these guys are made to immediately act on that thought… or they're possessed by something that just happens to think like Wilbur, but crazy."</p><p>The door to admin is locked.</p><p>Fundy goes to press the button to open the doors, but pauses when he sees it illuminated yellow, indicating that it's held shut by a timed lock.</p><p>He presses it anyway, but nothing happens. Why would the doors be locked? Some kind of glitch? Or is there something on the other side of the door that someone doesn't want them to find?</p><p>Fundy sees Tubbo notice the same thing, but all there is to do is wait for the door to eventually open itself again. However long that takes.</p><p>He leans against the wall, keeping his eye on the door across from him.</p><p>"Do you have any idea of any motivation, why anyone would want us dead?" He asks Tubbo.</p><p>Tubbo leans against the wall opposite, sliding down to sit on the floor. "I dunno. It might have just been nonsense rambles, but I think evil-Wilbur had said something about wanting everyone off of the ship?  …Yeah, he didn't want any alive people onboard."</p><p>Fundy taps the wall behind him. Sounds normal. "…Couldn't we all just get in an escape pod or something, then no one has to die?"</p><p>Tubbo grimaces. "We're in the middle of privateer territory. They'd definitely flag the escape pod as defenceless and attack us. There isn't really any way we can survive without this ship."<br/>He looks down at the floor, running his hand over a cracked line. "…And that might mean leaving people behind. Even if they're out to hurt us, I can't just leave Tommy and whoever he's working with alone. Something could happen."</p><p>Fair enough. As a crew, or a family, you've got to take every chance you have to stick together.</p><p>The doors suddenly slide open. Fundy looks up and into the room.</p><p>The first thing he sees is the screen of the admin table illuminated, loading a diagnostic.</p><p>The second thing he sees is Scott's body slumped on the floor, half against a leg of the table.</p><p>"Tubbo! Get the others!" He says. Tubbo stands stepping forward to look into the room, but Fundy shoves him away down the hallway. "Scott's hurt."</p><p>A look of resignation on his face, Tubbo backs away and turns, running around the corner.</p><p>Scott doesn't have a pulse. To be expected, with the circular patch of blood on his shirt, squarely over his heart. Fundy lowers the dead man's wrist back down, but something under Scott catches his attention.</p><p>Ignoring how horrifying shifting the body is, Fundy lifts him slightly, revealing a small, compact laser gun. He picks it up. It's Sparklez's gun. The one that he had killed Fundy with. Scott must have picked it up and kept it.</p><p>It didn't serve much use defending him.</p><p>Fundy is startled by a beep above him, and looks up to see the diagnostic completed. </p><p>Seems that Scott had started a search for people's locations, before he died.</p><p>Two people in medbay. Dead.</p><p>Two people in admin - him and Scott.</p><p>Two people in the cargo bay. </p><p>Someone in Security, everyone else in the hallways.</p><p>At the bottom of the screen, Fundy's suspicions are confirmed.</p><p>[Onboard: 9]</p><p>Phil <i>isn't here.</i></p><p>He's just… not on the ship.</p><p>A quick glance to another screen against the wall confirms there are no escape pods missing. </p><p>A total of <i>four</i> people are now dead.</p><p>There's only two other people who Fundy knows aren't guilty - Tubbo and Sylvee. A simple process of elimination leads to the only suspects being Wilbur and Minx.</p><p>The screen now shows every living person in the cafeteria, aside from himself and Tommy.</p><p>Sombrely, he walks out of Admin and closes the door behind him, walking into the cafeteria. </p><p>He might actually make it out of this one alive.</p><p>It's a weird thought, but probably weirder for Tubbo, who makes determined eye contact with him as he walks into the room. </p><p>Fundy joins the group at the table. </p><p><i>I know you're all wondering why I gathered you here today</i>, the back of his mind mumbles. </p><p>"Scott's dead." He says, simply. "In admin."</p><p>Minx covers her mouth in dismayed resignation, turning her head slightly away.</p><p>Wilbur closes his eyes, as if making a silent prayer.</p><p>No clues yet.</p><p>"…And the admin table shows that Phil isn't on the ship, dead or alive."</p><p>"What?" Tubbo says quietly, his voice cracking.</p><p>"The only way this is possible is if he got thrown out of the airlock."</p><p>Sylvee butts in, "we can't draw this out. One of you," she says, pointing at Wilbur and Minx, "has to prove your innocence."</p><p>Minx sits up, taken aback. "It wasn't me! I was on top deck."</p><p>"And I was in Security." Wilbur says.</p><p>They're at an impasse. Neither of them actually have any <i>evidence</i>.</p><p>Wilbur brushes hair out of his face, but when he lowers his hand, he flinches, grimacing as he rests his hand on the table.</p><p>"Wilbur." Fundy says, "what's wrong with your arm?"</p><p>"Nothing. I just pulled a muscle earlier."</p><p>"Wilbur." He repeats, "…take off your coat."</p><p>Wilbur hesitates before rolling his eyes and shrugging the white coat off, revealing a nasty, fresh-looking burn halfway up his upper arm.</p><p>"Ouch. How'd you get that?" Minx asks.</p><p>"Uh." Wilbur says, expression blank.</p><p>"Was it from this, perhaps?" Fundy offers, pulling the laser gun out of his pocket, aiming it at Wilbur.</p><p>"Uh."</p><p>"Where'd you get <i>that?</i>" Tubbo exclaims.</p><p>"It's Sparklez's. Scott had it."</p><p>"Well, then it looks like we have our answer. It was Wilbur. Scott shot him trying to defend himself" Sylvee says.</p><p>Minx quietly increases the distance between herself and the man.</p><p>"Any defence?" Fundy asks.</p><p>"Well…" Wilbur says, and pulls a gun. He shoots Tubbo. </p><p>Tubbo falls backward to the floor with a scream. Sylvee drops to his side. "Tubbo!"</p><p>Fundy keeps his gun trained on Wilbur. "Drop your weapon. <i>I'll shoot.</i>"</p><p>Wilbur, glaring, drops the gun on the table. It clatters and slides to Minx, who snatches it and backs away.</p><p>"Tubbo's alive. He was shot in the shoulder, and the bullet seems to have missed any arteries." He hears Sylvee say.</p><p>He turns slightly to look, seeing Sylvee applying pressure to Tubbo's wound. If anyone is brave enough to retrieve supplies from medbay, Tubbo will survive.</p><p>"Wilbur." Fundy says. "Brig."</p><p>Sighing, Wilbur turns, and starts the walk out of the cafeteria, hands held up.</p><p>Nodding to Minx to follow, Fundy joins Wilbur.</p><p>Suddenly, with a snarl, Wilbur turns around, lunging at Fundy. He slams into him, grabbing the gun before he has time to react. Fundy falls to the floor, and Wilbur stands over him, straightening himself up from a hunched animalistic stance and raising the gun as he cackles.</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>Oh fuck, shit shit shit he's gonna die -</i>
</p><p> </p><p>Minx shoots Wilbur between the eyes. </p><p>The bang echoes in Fundy's ears.</p><p> </p><p>Wilbur crumples to the floor. </p><p> </p><p>Dead.</p><p> </p><p>Minx lets out a sob, dropping the gun and stumbling back.</p><p> </p><p>Disoriented, Fundy sits up. His elbows ache from where they connected with the metal floor, and the back of his head stings. </p><p>His hand stings, too, from where Wilbur sparked him. He absently tries to shake the pain away as he stands. Damn static. It's always him who gets sparked.</p><p>Minx has disappeared. Looking around, Fundy decides to return to the cafeteria. </p><p>It's not like he can move Wilbur's body himself.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Tommy, in the brig: tf is going on</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Maybe I Could Wake Up and Feel Alright</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Contains description of treating a wound.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As strange as it is to believe, Fundy has made it. Both murderers (<i>is he sure there's only two?</i>) have been caught. </p><p>He survived. </p><p>He'll live to tomorrow.</p><p>The same can't be said for the now five dead crewmates and passengers. Or Tubbo, who's condition could have worsened while he wasn't around. </p><p>He can only focus on helping those who still <i>can</i> be helped, so he turns away from the corpse on the floor to follow Minx back to the cafeteria.</p><p>When he enters the room, he's met by the sight of Tubbo lying on a makeshift bed made of jackets and spare blankets on one of the table, Minx applying pressure to the unconscious boy's sluggishly bleeding wound. </p><p>Minx looks up when she notices him. "None of us are qualified for this! Scott, Techno and Niki are the only ones who know anything about medical treatments, and <i>none of them are here!</i>" She laments. "He could get a serious infection."</p><p>Fundy sighs, standing by her side and patting her on the back. "It could be worse - maybe he'll loop again when he dies."</p><p>Will Fundy loop again? Is there any way he can tell?</p><p>Should he loop on… purpose?</p><p>Sylvee stumbles back into the room, a large case clutched to her chest. Her face is pale, her expression bordering on traumatised. "Oh, it is very gross in medbay." She gasps, leaning against the door frame.</p><p>Fundy rushes to her side, taking the case from her hands. "Are you okay?"</p><p>She waves her hand dismissively, still hunched over. "I'll be fine. Scott really wasn't kidding about it being a bloodbath in there."</p><p>Fundy sets the case down on the table next to Tubbo, undoing the clasps to open it up.</p><p>Okay.</p><p>He can do this, they can do this.</p><p>Techno gave him a short course on first aid, didn’t he?</p><p>Inside the box is an array of equipment used for injuries on the field, when someone has to be treated immediately and can't be moved into medbay for more refined treatment. Tubbo can't be moved to medbay purely because no one here can sanely treat him while standing in a pool of blood.</p><p>The first steps are to diagnose the wound and clean it.</p><p>"Minx, is there an exit wound?" He calls over his shoulder.</p><p>He rummages through the box, searching for tweezers, bandages, and disinfectants. Minx swears under her breath.</p><p>"No exit wound." She replies.</p><p>In the corner of his eye, Fundy sees Sylvee stand up properly, take a couple of grounding breaths, and join Minx next to Tubbo.</p><p>"So the bullet's still inside of him? Would it be best to take it out or should we leave it?" Sylvee asks.</p><p>Fundy turns around. "It would be safer to leave it, but it would be better in the long run for Tubbo if we took it out now."</p><p>"Can we afford to risk it, though?" Minx asks.</p><p>"We're a long way out from the nearest planet or space station with medical professionals. If we leave it too long, he'll heal around it." Sylvee determines.</p><p>Is there really a chance that Tubbo will survive to heal around the bullet? The three of them are the only ones left who can maintain the ship, with Tubbo incapacitated and Tommy in the brig. Anything could go wrong in the days 'til they get anywhere - none of them are expert pilots or fighters.</p><p>They're sitting ducks in the void.</p><p>"Look." He finally says. "We don't know what we're doing. We'll just make his condition worse by digging around in there."</p><p>Fundy strides to the cafeteria sink, washing his hands. He can do this - it's not complicated.</p><p>He considers the water. He's pretty sure the first step is to rinse the wound for a few minutes, but is that feasible with a gunshot? It's probably not wise to waste his time with it…</p><p>As Sylvee washes her own hands, Fundy returns to the supplies table, grabbing disposable gloves, pulling them on. He opens a packet of gauze. He uncaps a bottle of saline and presses the cloth against the top, tipping it upside down for a second to soak the gauze. </p><p>The room is flooded with light, indicating that they've finally reached sunrise. Great timing, since treating a gunshot under the night-time lights would be another challenge that he really doesn't need right now.</p><p>Walking to Tubbo, he waits for Minx to cut the cloth around the wound away, revealing a dark, circular puncture, glistening with blood. </p><p>Gross. </p><p>He hands the gauze to Minx, pouring the tiniest bit of saline onto the wound to wash away the blood. He sets the bottle down and takes the gauze back, wiping the blood, and hopefully any and all bacteria, away. </p><p>Still unconscious, Tubbo whimpers.</p><p>The wound itself is under Tubbo's collarbone and to the side of his ribcage, punching though muscle and potentially shattering his shoulder blade. There is the small chance that it's hit a string of nerves that he's vaguely aware runs through this spot, which would completely cut off any ability to use his arm when he heals.</p><p>He casts those thoughts aside, finishing cleaning the wound and stepping back to allow Sylvee to tightly wrap bandages around the wound.</p><p>"This, this is an awkward spot to wrap." She says hesitantly. Nevertheless, she begins the process of looping the bandage across his torso, over his shoulder and under his armpit, pulling it firmly at each step, repeating to properly cover the wound. When done, she ties it off and pours a tiny bit more saline to the adhesive, effectively gluing the bandage to itself so it doesn't can't unwrap without the corresponding solvent.</p><p>The group stands back. It seems like they've done it. Minx grabs a spare blanket, draping it over Tubbo in attempt to alleviate any symptoms of shock.</p><p>"Well," Minx says, "that was messy."</p><p>Fundy pulls the blood covered gloves off, dropping them in the bin.</p><p>His hands are stained in Tubbo's blood, in two ways. It was his poor reaction time and misplaced trust in his former captain that allowed Tubbo to be shot in the first place.</p><p>With everyone above him dead, does that make Fundy or Minx the captain now? </p><p>It's not great to think about.</p><p>A circle of red forms in the white bandage, also not great to think about.</p><p> </p><p>He's really survived this. </p><p>A small part of him never actually thought that it would happen.</p><p>"Should we move him to somewhere more comfortable?" Sylvee suggests.</p><p>Minx shakes her head. "The only beds on this deck are in medbay, and we are <i>not</i> pulling him up a ladder."</p><p>"Yeah, that sounds like the opposite of helping." Sylvee sighs.</p><p>Despite everything, and everyone, that they've lost, they might be able to move on, make it to a space station and reunite with the others.</p><p>(If <i>they're</i> still alive, he reminds himself. Whatever happened on the phone call isn't reassuring.)</p><p>With nothing left to do in the cafeteria, he should check the trajectory of the ship, make sure that they're still on course. Hopefully Phil set it to a beeline and they won't have to improvise any tricky pilot work.</p><p>Halfway through the weapons room, Fundy gets a strange lurching feeling. The entire universe twists around him, and he waves his arms to try and regain balance, colliding with the bunk above him. </p><p>He flinches, drawing his hand back and clutching it to his chest. He's suddenly lying down, and feels incredibly dizzy. He cracks his eyes open, trying to dispel the woozy feeling, and realises that he's back in his, and Eret's, room.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Despite everything, he still somehow failed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Psych! (pronounced sike)<br/>Spontaneous medical drama.<br/>I looked up a bunch of stuff about shoulder anatomy and treating wounds, but I intentionally did things a bit wrong because Fundy doesn't 100% know what he's doing. Also, sci fi bandages.<br/>Chapter title today isn't a clue <i>or</i> a red herring. It's a lyric from Wilbur's 'Saline Solution', since, y'know, Fundy was using salt water.</p><p> </p><p>We're not done yet.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. forgot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The alarms are not something that Fundy had missed. He pulls himself out of bed, the incessant blaring getting on his nerves. Frustration builds in his chest. He stumbles forwards, trying to shake the strange feeling that being reset while wide awake to suddenly being in bed has given him. He trips over one of Eret's flamingos. He manages to keep his balance, but he kicks one of his feet against the floor and it aches. Annoyed, he kicks the thing under the desk.</p><p>How come, after everything, he still has to do this all over again?</p><p>The universe hates him.</p><p>It really does.</p><p>He yanks the door open, showing mostly everyone else to already be gathered in the hallway. He slouches against the wall, yanking at the <i>fucking ears</i> still glued to his head, not paying attention to the conversation. It hurts, but <i>he can't stand them</i>. He roughly pulls on the left ear, hairs snapping out of his head and the fabric tearing from the glue to finally free him of the damn thing. He drops it on the floor, running his hand through the spot where the fabric was glued, finding the glue itself still there. Whatever. </p><p>"Are you alright, Fundy?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>Well, he's here now, so he might as well try and figure things out. He grabs Tubbo by the wrist, dragging the startled boy around the corner, down the hallway and into the dark, unfinished garden room.</p><p>"Tubbo." He says. "I lived through yesterday."</p><p>Tubbo stares at him confused, before realisation dawns on his face. "You're looping, too!" He exclaims.</p><p>Fundy nods. "You don't remember yesterday." He states. "I already told you this."</p><p>Tubbo hops up to sit on one of the dusty tables. "This is getting complicated. What happened in your loop?"</p><p>"This is the third day I've lived, the first one we decided happened before <i>you</i> started looping. Yesterday, Tommy and Wilbur were the murderers."</p><p>Tubbo looks up at the blackout blinds against the windows as he thinks. "Yeah, I've never had that combination. My theory of it being different people each time has to be true. But how do I know I can trust you?"</p><p>Fundy shrugs. "I don't think there's a way that I can prove anything. But-" Fundy grabs Tubbo by the shoulders, "I <i>didn't</i> die and the loop reset."</p><p>"What?" Tubbo says blankly.</p><p>"We got Wilbur and Tommy, everything was <i>fine</i>! But then suddenly I was back in my room."</p><p>Tubbo frowns. "But I thought that the loops were reset by the "looper" dying."</p><p>"So did I! It happened anyway!"</p><p>"…So even if everyone survives, we still don't know how to escape this. Great. Are you sure you weren't instantly killed by a gamma-ray burst or something?"</p><p>"<i>I don't think so!</i>"</p><p>"What do you know?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>Fundy thinks, trying to recall everything important. "Wilbur was the one who went down to the cargo bay, which aligns with the theory that their murderous-ness is related to that, but Tommy's information conflicted with that."</p><p>"How do you know Tommy wasn't lying? You said he was one of the murderers, didn't you?"</p><p>…Why didn't he think of that?</p><p>It still doesn't really explain how Tommy was influenced, but he was with Wilbur for a while, maybe Wilbur managed to infect him, or lured him down to the cargo bay?</p><p>"You might be right there." He eventually says, "But what I also know: Sparklez has a lasergun, and Techno parkours across a river."</p><p>"<i>What?</i>" </p><p>"It's not important right now. Do you have a book or something that we could take notes with?"</p><p>"As a way to keep track of things? That's not a bad idea. I have a notebook in my room." Tubbo says, and drops down from the table, exiting the room and walking down the hallway. Fundy follows him, and finds it empty aside from Tommy, who's standing awkwardly outside his and Tubbo's room.</p><p>Tubbo brushes past him, walking to his desk and rooting through papers, pulling an empty book out of a large pile. "Okay, here. I'll write what I know, and then you can add to it."</p><p>Tommy's standing at the door, watching them. Fundy feels uneasy. Tommy killed people last time, and he might again, but Fundy knows that without the element of surprise, he could take Tommy in a fight, so he simply keeps an eye on him as he waits for Tubbo to finish writing.</p><p>Eventually, Tubbo hands the book to him. He's set up a table, with columns labelled "killers", "who checked the breach?" and "important info".</p><p>Fundy fills in the table as best he can. Skimming through the results, people going down to the cargo bay is definitely connected to them going crazy. The only inconsistency at all is Tommy.</p><p>It's a bit disturbing for Fundy to see himself recorded as a killer so many times. He figures that it must be due to his want to find more information that he forgot after each of Tubbo's loops. </p><p>"Wait, you're looping too, Tommy?" Tubbo says, apparently having a conversation that Fundy had been oblivious to.</p><p>"Is that what we're calling it?" He asks, "yeah."</p><p>Tommy holds his hand out for the book, and, on a whim more than anything, Fundy gives it to him. Tommy looks at the page, brows furrowed, before uncapping a pen and adding to it. When done, he gives it back to Fundy.</p><p>What he sees only reinforces the theory. </p><p>In the "who checked the breach?" column, Tommy wrote, for his first loop, "Tubbo + Phil", and in the other, "??" </p><p>Not "Wilbur and Fundy" both times. </p><p>Last time, Tommy had <i>lied</i>. </p><p>Today, everything seems to match up, <i>except for how Tommy was influenced.</i></p><p>Was Tommy <i>already</i> influenced, and intentionally confusing Fundy and Tubbo with false information?</p><p>What confuses him more, though, is in the "important info" space, Tommy has written "hidden passageways".</p><p>He lifts the book, pointing to the words. "Tommy, what do you mean by this?"</p><p>"You don't know? Wilbur said in one of my loops that there's actually maintenance corridors all around the ship, connecting rooms, and decks. It's why someone being on the wrong deck isn't actually a solid defence." Tommy says.</p><p>What?</p><p>
  <i>What?</i>
</p><p>Since when was there such a dangerous wrench in their survival, and why has Wilbur <i>kept it to himself for so long?</i></p><p>"Do you know where any of these passageways are?" Tubbo asks, but Tommy shakes his head.</p><p>"If anyone other than Wilbur does, it's probably just pure luck."</p><p>Tubbo hums thoughtfully, reading through what the group has written. He sets it down on the desk. "Okay, if we loop again, we do <i>this</i> again. We can't assume what other people do or don't know."</p><p>"Sure," Tommy says, "but what now?"</p><p>"Keep an eye out, I guess. Tommy, did you see who went down to cargo bay?" Fundy asks.</p><p>Tommy winces. "I wasn't paying attention. I was distracted by you two disappearing."</p><p>"Great. So we <i>could</i> have known who it is, but we're completely clueless anyway." Fundy feels that annoyance again. He's gotten so <i>sick</i> of this.</p><p>The alarms start up again, and Fundy sighs. "Look like something has been messed with again."</p><p>Without waiting for the others, Fundy leaves the room and climbs down the ladder, into the empty cafeteria. What's the issue - is it the oxygen, the reactor, the heaters? He should have checked while still upstairs, he kicks himself that he didn't.</p><p>Rather than wasting time finding a diagnostic screen, Fundy runs to the reactor, since it would be the more urgent disaster. </p><p>If it is something else, maybe they're using it to cover something up. Fundy isn't wasting time checking. He runs down the corridor and into one of the engine rooms, but the doors slide shut, trapping him. </p><p>Oh fuck.</p><p>There's no way that this is an accident, or a glitch</p><p>He frantically tries to open the door, pressing buttons on the control randomly. Nothing happens, because it's another timed lockdown.</p><p>He turns around, back pressed against the door, just in time to see a boot kick a panel out of the wall, the sheet of metal clattering loudly on the floor, revealing Minx. She swings down from the tight space, landing gracefully. </p><p>She's holding a gun.</p><p>Fuck.</p><p>"Minx, don't do this," he pleads, trying to back away, but only cornering himself next to the rumbling engine, "I know this isn't you. I know this isn't what you want to do."</p><p>"Nah, I think I want to do this," Minx grins, holding up the gun and pointing it at him, "I think I want to do this quite a bit."</p><p>"Minx - don't --" </p><p>She shoots. </p><p>He feels an intense pain in his chest. He sways for a second and falls, landing on the painful metal floor with a thud. </p><p>He's on his front, meaning that his wound can easily bleed out. He <i>needs</i> to move, but can't summon the strength to do so. The agonising pain stabs through him. </p><p>He feels the dampness spread across the floor.</p><p>His breathing is uneven, broken with sobs as he desperately tries to do <i>anything</i>.</p><p>He needs to do <i>something</i>, he's not dead yet.</p><p>But he can't.</p><p>He can't do anything.</p><p>He hears footsteps approaching, and manages to move his head slightly. Looking up, he makes eye contact with Minx.</p><p>Or rather, the gun pointed at his head.</p><p>____</p><p>Fundy feels pure relief when he wakes up.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Unspoken Assumptions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This is getting aggravating. Constantly waking up to this damn noise. Fundy really, really wants to get out of this loop. </p><p>Last loop was laughably short. He should have been more cautious, should have waited for the others, but he <i>didn't.</i> And now he needs to explain everything to Tommy and Tubbo all over again.</p><p>This time he doesn't get his foot wedged between the flamingo's legs when walks to his door, stepping carefully around the thing. </p><p>Almost everyone is in the hallway. Fundy stays back and lets everything play out in front of him.</p><p>When Wilbur asks the group if who is willing to go down and check on the breach, Fundy interrupts. "How about nobody goes? There's nothing wrong."</p><p>Wilbur turns to look at him, bafflement clear on his face. "What? Just because hasn't already killed us doesn't mean it never will."</p><p>Fundy crosses his arms. He hadn't really thought this far ahead. How much should he tell everyone? "…Just trust me." He says.</p><p>"Why? Do you know something?"</p><p>Everyone's staring at him now. He really doesn't like this. He cracks. "i'minatimeloop" he says.</p><p>"What was that?" Scott asks.</p><p>Deep breath. "I've lived this day before." He sees realisation dawn on Tubbo's face. Again. He really hopes he won't have to explain this ever again. Please.</p><p>He continues. "There's something down there. Whatever it is, it makes people go crazy. I've died each time - killed by one of you. Not the same people, though."</p><p>"Well, shit." Phil says.</p><p>"Are you sure, like one hundred percent?" Minx asks. </p><p>"I've been through the same thing!" Tubbo says. "If <i>no one</i> gets influenced, then we can all make it out alive!" He gets increasingly excited at the idea, obviously also sick of looping.</p><p>Tommy doesn't say anything.</p><p>"Okay then," Wilbur says, "I'll trust you here. No one is allowed to go down to the cargo bay. I'll block it off at Storage. I'll be in Security to make sure nobody tries to get in."</p><p>"In case something happens," Sparklez says, "I think everyone should stay awake. We don't want anything to happen while we're asleep." </p><p>Everyone agrees, and people split off, a few going to the lounge, others to the cafeteria. Fundy is left alone with Tommy and Tubbo. "So," he says, clapping his hands together, "let's play catch-up." He turns on his heel to walk into Tommy and Tubbo's room, sifting through the pile of books for that empty one. He hands it to Tubbo. "Write what you know." He says.</p><p>Tubbo nods, and starts writing. Tommy takes it and does the same. </p><p>Fundy looks at the page. Nothing new. He's the only one who remembers the previous loop. Great.</p><p>"What now?" Tommy voices what they're all thinking. </p><p>"I'm not sure. Since we've probably got the whole murderer thing sorted out-" (finally) "-I guess we should look into how to end the loop."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>"A loop ago, I didn't die, but I still got reset anyway. I have no idea why."</p><p>Tubbo thinks. "We know we're reset by death, right? But why is it a specific person each time and not everyone?"</p><p>Fundy shrugs. "I don't know. The universe just hates me specifically. I keep getting electric shocks even though we're well past the phasegate."</p><p>"Electric shocks?" Tommy murmurs, "Tubbo zapped me, in my first loop. It made him real mad… and he killed me."</p><p>Tubbo looks up. "You know what? I think Fundy zapped me on <i>my</i> first loop."</p><p>Fundy drops onto the beanbag. "Do you think that's it? All of this, just because of some static electricity?"</p><p>"Hey, the first was from the phasegate, right? So it's probably much more high energy than regular static." Tubbo says. "I don't know what that would mean, but it's definitely a connection between our loops, right? Who zapped you most recently, Fundy?"</p><p>"Wilbur." He replies.</p><p>Tubbo deflates. "Okay, less of a pattern than I'd hoped. Is it possible he got zapped and then zapped you in the same loop?"</p><p>Fundy thinks. "…Yeah, he was with Tommy for a long time. If I gave the loop to you, then you to Tommy, and then I got it, that would make it a circle." A loop, if you will.</p><p>"So if all of this is caused by that energy, did you do something that would activate it?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>"Not really, I was just walking to the cockpit. I was in Weapons at the time - I don't think just being <i>near</i> anything in Weapons should activate <i>anything</i>. It doesn't really make sense, nothing like that happened in the reactor or engine rooms."</p><p>They fall into silence. </p><p>"Well then, looks like we don't have any answers. Is there anything you guys want to do?" Fundy says after a while.</p><p>"I have a bit of a headache," Tommy says, "I could probably get some water."</p><p>Not wanting to <i>immediately</i> repeat his past mistakes, Fundy follows the two as they go to the cafeteria. Even though there isn't actually anything to be worried about, he doesn't want to be alone again.</p><p>In the cafeteria are Sylvee, Sparklez and Phil, sitting near each other but not actually talking. Tommy walks past them to the counter, pulling out a glass and filling it with tap water. </p><p>Fundy sits next to Phil.</p><p>He doesn't try talking, just sitting in silence. Even though his body has been reset with everything else, his mind hasn’t, and his brain is very tired.</p><p>"Fundy," Sparklez says, "do you have any idea of what their motive is?" Who he means by "them" is clear.</p><p>"We still don't know. Those… affected… just stop liking people and seem happier for us to be dead."</p><p>Sparklez nods in acknowledgment, not asking anything else.</p><p>Fundy is tired of being trapped in this. He just wants <i>out.</i></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have more free time now, so that might mean more updates, since I've made a rule of having to do at least one thing a day, and when I "waste" a day I just sit down and write a chapter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. No Cigar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Despite Fundy knowing there's no real danger, he still feels nervous as Tommy and Tubbo wander away from the cafeteria. People don't need to be on high alert anymore, but Fundy still can't relax.</p><p>Perhaps the rooms of this ship are forever tainted by the memories he holds.</p><p>"Anyone want a drink?" Phil asks, standing up and drifting to the counters.</p><p>Fundy doesn't respond. The only thing he really wants is booze, and Phil never approves of day drinking. Or very early morning drinking.</p><p>Resting his chin on his hand, he looks to Sparklez. "So, you're obviously not an ordinary civilian. What's your deal? Why are you on this ship when you could buy your own."</p><p>Sparklez looks a bit put out, but shrugs and answers. "I'm a special agent. Constellar regions, not Central Ring. I would take a better ship, but there's two problems. I like to keep a low profile… and I may have spent a few years being a safety inspector. People at the shipyards hate me. They do everything they can to keep me out so no one sees their demonetising standards."</p><p>"Demoneti- oh, whatever. Why are you going to Beta Hydri?"</p><p>"No reason. I've got some free time, so I thought I'd see the sights, you know?"</p><p>Fundy narrows his eyes. "Sure."</p><p>Sparklez laughs. "You're too paranoid."</p><p>"I've learned, over the past few days."</p><p>"Oh. Right." The silence, rather than just making Fundy nervous, is now awkward.</p><p>"So, how do these loops of yours work?" Sylvee asks.</p><p>"I'm not really sure. Everything gets reset when we die, except once it happened while I was alive."</p><p>"That's strange." She muses. "Are you sure that it's actually reset when you die? What if something happens at the same time?"</p><p>Fundy sits up. "I hadn't really thought about that. But wouldn't it have to be really specific timing?"</p><p>"It wouldn't be your killer doing it on purpose." Sparklez says. "It seems very counter-productive for them to let you learn more and more information. Do they know that people are 'looping'?"</p><p>"Tubbo seems to believe so. It's where we got the term 'looper' from."</p><p>"Then, surely, they know <i>they can't win</i> until the timeloop is reset, because every time <i>you</i> loop, it becomes harder for them."</p><p>Fundy thinks about it. He's never announced that he's looping to the crowd and then later was killed, right? The only time he can think of when a looper was purposefully killed was with when Tommy was sparked by Tubbo.</p><p>Thinking about it, that scenario sounds more like damage control than anything else. The murderer killing Tommy as soon as possible before he has time to learn more information.</p><p>Like these… impostors are using the loops to their advantage, too. But they don't seem to remember anything themselves, every time they kill a looper should be a massive risk-</p><p> "Stop being so dramatic! I can feel it from here!" Phil calls from across the room.</p><p>"It's just really annoying. There's so much we don't know and will probably never know. If only we had a theoretical physicist onboard. Or a tactician." Fundy sighs.</p><p>"I'm no help there." Sparklez says. "I've never been one for calculations. I just show up places and sort things out."</p><p>"Then sort this out." Sylvee says.</p><p>"I usually have a lot of intel before I even get close to a job."</p><p>Phil stirs his drink, "well, there's no use just moping-"</p><p>He's interrupted by a scream.</p><p>Fundy's on his feet, running down the corridor before he even fully registers what's happening. He can hear the others following, Sylvee asking <i>what's going on</i> in confusion.</p><p>He recognises that scream. Tommy.</p><p>He reaches Admin, running into the room to see Tommy standing at the admin table, sobbing. At his feet, is Tubbo.</p><p> </p><p>Dead.</p><p> </p><p>"It - it was Wilbur." Tommy shouts. "He killed Tubbo."</p><p>Sparklez looks around the room. "Where is he? Did he run out the hallway?" He says urgently, already halfway back out the door.</p><p>"He, he opened a maintenance tunnel." Tommy wipes at his eyes, taking deep breaths as he tries to calm himself.</p><p>"What? Since when were there secret passageways?" Minx asks, having appeared at the doorway.</p><p>"In one of my loops, he told me about them."</p><p>"Why wouldn't he tell us about that?" Minx walks over to Tommy, and at a loss, pats him on the back. He shoves her away</p><p>"So he can have the upper hand all the time! Obviously!" Sylvee waves her arm. </p><p>"I thought we resolved this. I thought no one else would be influenced." Fundy says faintly.</p><p>"Wilbur must have gone down anyway! Someone else probably did too! We fixed <i>nothing</i>." Tommy yells. "Now he just knows what we know!"</p><p>Phil pushes past Fundy to kneel next to Tubbo. He checks his pulse, and is clearly disappointed by what he finds. He lifts the body into his arms. "I'm taking him to medbay."</p><p>In an earlier loop, Fundy might not have been too worried. But Sparklez's thought that the impostors will want the end the loop for good sits heavily.</p><p>Phil walks past the group, who part to allow him through. </p><p>The file out of admin and back to the cafeteria, where they find Scott and Callum waiting. "What's going on?" CPK asks.</p><p>"Tommy says he saw Wilbur kill Tubbo." Minx says.</p><p>"Are we sure we can trust Tommy? How are we sure he didn't kill Tubbo and blame Wilbur?" Scott asks.</p><p>"There's no real way to be sure," Fundy says, "but I don't think it was Tommy. It seems a bit counterproductive to alert everyone that Tubbo's dead if he was the one who did it, right?"</p><p>Scott nods in understanding. "So where is Wilbur, then?"</p><p>"In the walls or some shit." Minx says.</p><p>"We don't know where he is," Sparklez says, "since he's been caught, I think he'll be less cautious. We all need to stay wary. He could reveal himself at any point."</p><p>Fundy feels guilty. He's the one that proposed the failed plan of no one getting influenced, and Tubbo revealed himself by backing Fundy up. Wilbur must have realised that Tubbo <i>was</i> looping but isn't anymore, making him a prime target.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thirty chapters and we're finally calling the impostors impostors. what a world.</p><p>Anyway, anyone got a oneshot request? I'm trying my hand at writing them, but figuring out all the details is so time consuming. So if you have a prompt or request, I'd prefer it if you're as specific as possible :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Descent</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Okay. </p><p>Wilbur's in the walls. </p><p>Nothing too much to stress out about, just <i>the captain of the fucking ship who has access to the whole weapons room</i>.</p><p>Is in the walls.</p><p>Chances are, he's listening in on their conversation right now.</p><p>The logical thing to do would be for everyone to stick together - no one should leave the cafeteria. If nobody is ever alone, there's no way Wilbur will be able to pick them off one at a time.</p><p>He can see that Minx has the same idea, standing by the door to the corridor that leads to medbay. Her head is tilted slightly to look into the darkness. Keeping an eye out, making sure nothing is happening to Phil while also not putting herself in danger.</p><p>But, there's the issue of the other impostor. Because there's never only one.</p><p>Whatever they are, it's looking more and more like it's two entities (devices?) working together, just shuffling who they control. The one messing with Wilbur would have, of course, lured someone else down to be controlled, too. Having two impostors is too great of an advantage for Wilbur to have ignored.</p><p>He can rule out Tommy, since he's been with Tubbo the whole time - Tubbo would never have let him go down to the cargo bay. Tommy knows better, anyway.</p><p>"Is there anything we can do for, you know, self-defence?" Sylvee asks, gesturing vaguely.</p><p>Before anyone else can answer, Fundy shuts that idea down. "I don't think that's wise. We caught one of the impostors in one loop because he had a weapon on him - he used the excuse of it being for self-defence. I get that none of us feel safe, but I think we'd all prefer to know that the person next to you isn't going to suddenly kill you."</p><p>"I understand your logic," Sparklez says, "but I'm not getting rid of <i>my</i> weapon. We shouldn't be helpless when Wilbur pops out of the ceiling and starts shooting people."</p><p>"<i>But how do we know you won't shoot us?</i>" CPK sighs, "if it could be anyone, then it <i>could be you.</i>"</p><p>"Hey, if it was me and Wilbur, I don’t think we'd be having this conversation right now. If I was working with him, he'd probably have showed up by this point. But he knows that would risk himself and his buddy."</p><p>Fundy feels like rolling his eyes, but the man is right. They, and probably Wilbur's partner, are the only ones armed right now. Whatever the impostors' motive is, what he knows points to them not wanting a shoot-out. </p><p>…If only he had a sword or something. But only privateers have swords these days.</p><p>Scott crosses his arms. "Or you're just trying to trick us. We don’t know how these… affected people work, do we? They might be talking telepathically or something. They're clearly not… normal."</p><p>Does Fundy have any proof otherwise - has he seen anything happen that would have been caused by miscommunication between the impostors?</p><p>He digs deep into his memory. The day before "yesterday", hadn't Tommy been desperate for an alibi from Wilbur, who turned out to be the other impostor? Unless that was all part of the act, <i>that</i> seems like a miscommunication and a half.</p><p>Tommy, sitting at a table, body angled away from the group, doesn't seem to be listening. If it was Wilbur that time, could it be Tommy again? Is it less random than he had thought?</p><p>Are there always the same combinations?</p><p>An interesting thought, but unlikely.</p><p>"I don't think that's true," Fundy finally says, "in one loop, one of them tried to get an alibi from the other, but his partner knew he was already caught and did his best to distance himself. They're definitely able to mess each other's plans up."</p><p>Scott nods thoughtfully.</p><p>"What now?" CPK asks the group, and then the alarms start up.</p><p>Fuck.</p><p>Looks like they might have to split up. He hates this <i>so much.</i></p><p>The room flashes red, returns to the darkness of night mode, and red again.</p><p>"Minx." Fundy calls across the cafeteria. She, by the door, is right next to a control panel. "What's the problem?" She turns the screen on, quickly scrolling through.</p><p>"The oxygen!"</p><p>Fuck.</p><p>Although the system being shut off doesn’t result in an immediate lack of breathable air, the old tech is clunky and fragile. If it gets shut off for long enough, it can't turn back on.</p><p>Half the group has already run off into the dark corridors. He feels, for certain, that someone is going to die. This is too good of an opportunity for Wilbur. </p><p>Everyone's distracted, and there'll be people alone.</p><p>The only ones left in the cafeteria are Minx and CPK. Great.</p><p>"Stick together!" He calls behind him, running to Oxygen through Weapons. The lights are still flashing, the alarm incessant. The alternation between the darkness and the bright red emergency lights is disorienting, but he manages to not trip over the guns chair.</p><p>He breathes a sigh of relief when the alarm shuts off. He slows down from his sprint to a walk, taking a moment to catch his breath. It's okay. </p><p>He continues his walk to oxygen anyway, just to check in and make sure everyone's alright.</p><p>The door to Weapons slams shut behind him. Startled, he jumps away. Another yellow time lock. </p><p>You really think you're slick, Wilbur? He thinks to himself.</p><p>His second thought is, oh no, there's definitely something going on.</p><p> </p><p>And it might be happening to him.</p><p> </p><p>He presses his back against the door, scanning the hallway. Are there any panels that can pop out of the wall in a repeat of last time?</p><p>Is there something he can grab to defend himself?</p><p>He can't see anything in the darkness. He doesn't hear movement, or see the dark silhouette of an attacker. Fundy's best hope right now is to remove himself from the situation. He doesn't know why Wilbur would have closed the door behind him, but he won't find out by standing around.</p><p>He takes a hesitant step forward. The hall is silent apart from his breathing.</p><p>He expects someone to pop out and attack him, but there's nothing.</p><p>Fundy continues walking. His hand finds his trusty butterfly knife in his pocket. For all he said about dropping self-defence weapons to look less suspicious, he's glad he didn't.</p><p>The silence is unnerving.</p><p>He keeps walking anyway.</p><p> </p><p>The door to Oxygen is also locked. He raps his knuckles against it. "Hello? Is there anyone in there?"</p><p>There's the faint sound of clanging. "Yeah, it's Tommy and Sylvee," Sylvee says, "we got locked in here."</p><p>"I know. A few doors have been sealed. Do you know where the others are?"</p><p>"Scott and Sparklez left after they fixed the oxygen. I was looking at the machines when they went, I wasn't paying attention to which way they went.</p><p>Fundy takes a few steps back to look around the corner. He doesn't see anyone. If it's probably not Tommy, then it's also not Sylvee. The only suspects right now are Minx, CPK, Scott and Sparklez. Phil too, but he's probably with the others in the cafeteria right now.</p><p>"I'm gonna go now!" Fundy says, running down the hall. If it's Scott or Sparklez, the other is definitely in danger right now.</p><p>As he runs past, he glances to the side to see the door to the cockpit is also sealed. He hears a commotion up ahead, running into shields to see…</p><p>Scott standing over Sparklez's body.</p><p> </p><p>He knew it. He fucking knew it. </p><p>His hands are shaking.</p><p>Scott is looking down at the body, a regular, bullet gun held loosely in his hand as he stares. It's like he's processing the moment.</p><p>Fundy steps forward, the heel of his boot scuffing against the slight incline.</p><p>Scott looks up, startled.</p><p>Fundy doesn't allow himself to hesitate. Before Scott can react, he sprints forwards, leaping at Scott to tackle him roughly to the ground. Scott lets out a surprised yell. The gun clatters against the floor, sliding well out of reach.</p><p>Fundy landed on his shoulder, losing his grip on Scott and rolling over onto his back. His everything aches. The grating of the floor has grazed his skin, causing a sharp stinging pain everywhere that he collided with the metal.</p><p>It seems like universally, Wilbur is the worst person to have get effected, since he has access to the weapons storage and can share it with his accomplice. In the future, he'll have to actively monitor Wilbur to make sure it never happens again.</p><p>Scott groans, sitting up slightly and rubbing at the back of his head.</p><p>Fundy hears footsteps approaching, and Phil swearing as he sees the scene. The clatter of the gun being kicked off the walkway and into the pit below. "Phil," Fundy says, a bit out of breath, "Scott shot Sparklez."</p><p>Phil sighs. He sounds tired and sad. Aren't we all. </p><p>Fundy sits up, grabbing onto the handrail to pull himself to his feet. He was lucky that he didn't tumble into the pit under the walkway. That would hurt a lot. And might have killed him.</p><p>Thinking about it, the drops under the paths in Shields and the engines would be a great place to hide a body.</p><p>Phil kneels at Sparklez's side in a repeat of last time, checking his pulse. Once again, he's disappointed by what he finds. Or, what he doesn't find.</p><p>Scott looks around the room, still lying on the floor. He looks disoriented, woozy, concussed. Scott grimaces and rubs at his eyes. "Ugh. Wow," he mumbles.</p><p>Sylvee appears at the door with Tommy. When she sees what's going on, she turns around and pushes him back out of the room. An attempt at sheltering the kid. Useless since he's already seen so much.</p><p>Fundy can't imagine being able to cope with all of this if he was as young as Tubbo and Tommy.</p><p> </p><p>He's not coping with it, either way.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm curious, what are your theories on what the impostors actually <i>are</i>? Why are they doing all of this?<br/>Here's a hint: I were to thruthfully explain them in a few words, it sounds <i>really</i> stupid.</p><p>Also, in case you haven't seen them, I attempted writing some oneshots. I'm most proud of #1 and #3 at the moment:<br/><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036803">check them out here</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Meagre</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wilbur's still in the walls, Fundy thinks as Phil, Tommy and Sylvee escort him and Scott to the cafeteria. We're still vulnerable.</p><p>Like some kind of infestation.</p><p>Scott's swaying slightly, having to be held up by Phil as the group walks. Fundy feels vaguely guilty. If they make it out of this loop and somehow cure Scott, he'll have to apologise.</p><p>But he won't apologise now, because that <i>thing</i> doesn't deserve the decency.</p><p>Scott's so <i>nice</i>, whatever he is right now definitely isn't Scott.</p><p>Had he looked guilty, as he stood over the dead body? Would he have ran away instead of hurting Fundy?</p><p>Minx and CPK are still in the cafeteria, positioned slightly in the corner. Smart. Wilbur wouldn't be able to surprise them when they have their backs to the window. They look up when they see the group enter the room. </p><p>Fundy sits at the middle table, and Phil nudges Scott to sit opposite of him. Like a weak attempt at a courtroom.</p><p>He's getting so <i>sick</i> of this. At this point, he's hardly caring what happens so long as he doesn't have to live through today another time. He just wants to see tomorrow. He's tired of living this night over and over with only a <i>glimpse</i> of a sunrise that keeps getting torn away from him.</p><p>Scott rubs at his head again.</p><p>Not waiting for any prompting, Fundy speaks up. "Scott killed Sparklez. After oxygen was fixed, the two of them walked down to shields. They were separated from the others by the doors - which means Wilbur was in Security - and Scott took that opportunity to take him by surprise. He was just standing there when I found them."</p><p>Scott stares at him, slightly unfocused, and Fundy feels that reflected in himself. He's just so tired of this. </p><p>His attention wavers, and he looks at a stain on the table, vaguely aware of the conversation continuing without him. He doesn't really care. When he looks up again, he sees that CPK, Minx and Phil have left with Scott. Good, looks like Scott wasn't able to shift the blame.</p><p>He rubs at his eyes. It's looking more and more like every time he is reset, his brain, or consciousness, gets more tired even though his body is the same as ever. He needs to ground himself. Pushing against the table to stand up, he latches onto what he always does. Work. Problem solving. </p><p>Except this time, instead of coding, it's a life or death mystery. And Wilbur's still in the walls.</p><p>He needs to find more information on the secret passageways, and he needs to figure out <i>what the hell is actually going on.</i> </p><p>His hand wraps around his butterfly knife, still in his pocket, absently opening and closing it.</p><p>(<i>Click</i>. Closed.)</p><p>He has to order things. He can't focus on everything at once, certainly not as out of it as he is right now. </p><p>Step one: get a coffee.</p><p>Sylvee is leaning against the counter, holding a cup but not drinking from it. While Fundy waits for the machine to brew, he glances over and sees her mug is full of hot water. </p><p>The machine beeps, indicating that his drink is done. Turning away from her, he takes a deep swig, downing it in a few seconds. It burns. But it's grounding.</p><p>Okay. Next step. </p><p>Wilbur's still in the walls. Maybe he can do something about that. Separating himself from the group to find a solution is risky, but nothing matters anyway. He still has the loop, the information is worth it. Maybe it would be better if someone else, someone who won't remember anything - as much as it sounds bad, <i>expendable</i> people, were to look into it. In the grand scheme of things, information is worth more than their lives. He's not bothered to try and persuade anyone, however, and decides that it's easiest to do this alone.</p><p>He sets his cup down, feeling more clear headed, and without a word to Sylvee, strides out of the room. Admin might not be able to figure out what's going on in the vents, but Security might. </p><p>But when he stands in the engine room, he remembers the last time he died. Minx appeared from one of those tunnels, probably teamed with Wilbur, to kill him. His eyes wander to the panel in the wall. </p><p> </p><p>Could he…?</p><p> </p><p>Without any further thought, he walks to the wall, fingers searching for a seam in the metal. Finding it, he pries it open - his hands hurt a bit - and it pops loose, falling to the floor with a deafening clatter.</p><p>He stands frozen as the echoes fade, half expecting to see Wilbur appear, but he's alone. </p><p> </p><p>Is he really doing this?</p><p> </p><p>The tunnel is clearly built to be small. It's taller than it is wide, but it's not tall. It's about a meter wide and a couple feet taller. Fundy would have to crouch slightly, or even crawl in that space.</p><p> </p><p>Is he <i>really doing this</i>?</p><p> </p><p>Fuck it. </p><p> </p><p>He lifts himself into the corridor. It's cramped, enough to make any claustrophobe freak out. The lighting is minimal, just a few low energy bulbs dotting the tunnel. In this tunnel is his death, but he explores deeper.</p><p>His hand finds his knife again.</p><p>(<i>Click.</i> Open.)</p><p>He steps as quietly as possible. It means walking slowly, but the metal floor amplifies his footsteps, and any hasty movement would echo down the hall system. Probably.</p><p>He doesn’t know, and he's never liked not knowing. </p><p>(<i>Click.</i> Closed.)</p><p>It's amusing, he thinks, to imagine Wilbur navigating this place. The guy is <i>way</i> too tall for these small passageways. </p><p>There's a bulkhead door a few metres into the passageway. Old fashioned, unfashionable, cheap. Sturdy. He unscrews the seal to open it, unsure whether to pull the door slowly or all of a sudden, to catch anyone on the other side by surprise. </p><p>He yanks it open, and the creak is loud, too loud. But there's nothing on the other side.</p><p>(<i>Click.</i> Open.)</p><p>He arrives at a corner, the passageway turning ninety degrees to the right. He looks back the way he came. The exit looks very inviting. He continues forward. This system might be like a maze, so he should take note of the turns he makes. </p><p>(<i>Click.</i> Closed.)</p><p>His back is thankful when he turns the corner and finds that the roof is significantly higher. The walls are closer together, though. </p><p>Or maybe he's just imagining it. </p><p>(<i>Click.</i> Open.)</p><p>He opens another bulkhead. Should he close them behind himself, to cover his tracks, or leave them open so he doesn't trap himself?</p><p>He decides to leave the door open</p><p>He finds panels in the walls that he can see will pop out if pressured enough, some on hinges. There's small gaps lining the passageway that allow him to look into the rooms outside - in this case, medbay. Peeking through the grill into the room, he sees a sheet covering a small body. He averts his gaze. </p><p>His grip around the knife's handle tightens, and the unease that had been building up the longer he was in here is steady in the front of his mind. Wilbur could be around the next corner. What would he do, then?</p><p>What the hell is he doing.</p><p>He really didn't think this through. </p><p> </p><p>The most likely place that Wilbur would be is by Security, since he was messing with the doors and the cameras give him a big advantage. So that means that Fundy just has to map out the floorplan of these damned tunnels while also staying as far away from there as possible. </p><p>He listens carefully, for any footsteps, but all he hears is the beeping of the machines in medbay.</p><p>The hall is only a bit wider than his shoulders. Definitely narrower than the first passage. It's probably because these passages are a second thought to the actual design of the ship and need to fit in between all the vital components. </p><p>He can hear the echo of his breath.</p><p>He continues walking. </p><p> </p><p>He opens another bulkhead, revealing the tunnel continuing forward, as well as a nook set into the wall. In it is a ladder going up to the next deck. Looks like travel between decks really doesn't rely on the cafeteria. The quarters are further from Security, so he climbs up.</p><p>It means pocketing his knife. He doesn't want to do that, so he holds it between his teeth. The exit to the next deck is capped with a manhole, requiring him to brace himself against the wall behind the ladder to lift it up and shift away from the hole. </p><p>The passageway on this deck is wider. But short. Barely a metre tall, he has to crawl to continue on. Does he really want to do this? He could get trapped, and then what could anyone do?</p><p>Fundy freezes when he hears a creak. He holds his breath, standing completely still as he listens. He can hear a strange rattling in the distance. Probably a machine. </p><p>There's a panel above him. Having no idea where it leads, he pushes up against it. On a hinge, it swings up, pushing something on top of it aside.</p><p>He awkwardly attempts to situate himself so that he can see where he's ended up. </p><p>Oh. </p><p>This is Scott's room.</p><p>The tunnel leads into people's <i>rooms.</i></p><p>The thing that had been sitting on the door (trapdoor?) was a basket of books. Perfectly innocuous. He pulls himself up to stand in Scott's room. He shuts the door behind him. It seamlessly blends in with the floor. Fundy would never have noticed it was there.</p><p>Scott's room is small, smaller than Fundy and Eret's shared room. The portside rooms are all single beds, used by people who don't really want to share their living spaces with another member of the crew. There's bookshelves, a small desk with a monitor on it, and a wardrobe. Nothing but the bare essentials. Scott, of course, has managed to decorate it nicely, but it doesn't distract from how cramped it is.</p><p>Not wanting to pry through his friend's things, Fundy considers what to do next. Should he look for other openings, or go back into the tunnel and see where they are from there?</p><p>It seems like there might somehow be a time limit on the length of loops, so, not wanting to waste time, Fundy turns around and climbs back down, ignoring his discomfort. The tunnel seems to stretch endlessly onwards.</p><p>Especially since he has to crawl through the cramped space. At every movement, he listens carefully for anyone else in here. </p><p> </p><p>He really doesn't like how he can't sit up - <i>can't run</i> -</p><p>But, with a mission to complete, he continues his exploration. There's several hatches above him, leading to other portside rooms, presumably, as well as gaps leading downwards. Other ladders, as well as panels in the ceilings of other rooms, probably. He's not entirely sure, and he doesn't want to reveal his presence by knocking a sheet of metal to the floor below. </p><p>He passes by another little nook, this one empty. He shrinks away from what he sees.</p><p>Coating the wall, dripping down into a pool in the floor, is blood. It doesn't look old. </p><p>And then it’s gone. In a blink, the corner is spotless. </p><p>What?</p><p>He pats at the wall, and it's dusty. It definitely has not been cleaned in a very long time.</p><p>There's no blood. </p><p>Just blank, grey, dusty metal.</p><p>Is he seeing things? </p><p>He grips his knife tighter.</p><p>Not wanting to stay anywhere near what the hell this is, he keeps crawling.</p><p>It feels a bit like the walls are becoming narrower.</p><p> </p><p>The tunnel angles upwards, with notches in the floor help him not slide backwards. It levels out at another exit, which he cautiously pushes open. He flinches back at the bright light. It must be morning, and he hadn't noticed the automatic lights turn on while he was in the tunnel. He's in the wall next to a bunk, and a few moments of looking around reveals this to be the shared passengers' quarters. Where the people paying for fares sleep.</p><p> </p><p>Okay, looks like these tunnels lead literally everywhere. </p><p> </p><p>Fundy feels like he's being watched. </p><p>He glances around, and sees nothing. The room is empty. There's no cameras. There's no way anyone can actually be watching him.</p><p>Yet, he feels the creeping feeling of eyes on him. </p><p>The tunnel behind him looms. The darkness looks so much more uninviting now that he's fully in the light. </p><p>What has he learned from all of this, anyway? He's not safe, wherever he goes?</p><p> </p><p>He sits on the floor and realises that he's <i>wasted so much time.</i> </p><p>He wasted this loop, like how he wasted <i>so much time</i> trying to save Tubbo's life before, and now the kid is dead anyway.</p><p> </p><p>As if on cue, the universe jolts, and suddenly he's lying on his back, looking up at Eret's bunk. </p><p>He never even found Wilbur.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It's a thing that my writing quality dips a lil' bit when I'm spending too much time thinking about what's happening next chapter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Rabbits and Smoked Fish</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Why did the universe have to go and do this to him? He didn't <i>ask</i> for any of this to happen. Sitting up and doing his best to tune out the alarm, Fundy tries not to think too much about all of this.</p>
<p>Eventually, he'll be freed from this damned loop, it's inevitable that they'll find a way out, somehow. </p>
<p>He stumbles over the fallen flamingo. Growling to himself, he roughly kicks it under his bed.</p>
<p>This can't continue for eternity, eventually the universe is going to have to move on, with or without them. Time won't end here.</p>
<p>Everyone's in the hallway. Doing the exact same fucking things as every other fucking time. </p>
<p>They don't feel real anymore. His friends, family, don't seem human. They don't have free will, bound what they did <i>every other time</i>. </p>
<p>That tiredness is back, and it <i>aches.</i></p>
<p>Maybe he's just not built for this kind of thing.</p>
<p>"Alright," he announces, interrupting Wilbur mid-sentence, "nobody is going down there, I'm in a time loop and there's something very bad going on. Something is making people who go to the breach all murderous." Any kind of tact is out the window. Fundy is too frustrated with all of this to care.</p>
<p>The conversation continues, Tubbo vouching for him. Without waiting for an actual decision to be made, he walks up to Tubbo, grabs him by the wrist and drags him into Tubbo's room, Tommy following.</p>
<p>"-what?" Tubbo says, confused.</p>
<p>Fundy scrawls in the book, writing what he knows as quickly as possible. He's probably missed some things, but it doesn't matter.</p>
<p>"Write what you know." Fundy says, handing the book to Tubbo.</p>
<p>Tubbo looks confused. He reads through what Fundy wrote, and figures out what's going on, filling in what he knows. Nothing's different.</p>
<p>Fundy's in this on his own. Again.</p>
<p>"So, we decided that the loop is transferred through… static electricity?" Tommy asks, book in his hands.</p>
<p>Fundy is hit by an idea.</p>
<p>He grabs Tubbo's wrist again, clapping his other hand and Tubbo's together. Nothing happens.</p>
<p>"What are you <i>doing</i>?" Tubbo looks at him like he's crazy. He probably is.</p>
<p>Fundy tries again. Clap. Nothing.</p>
<p>"Fundy?" </p>
<p>A fist bump this time. </p>
<p>"Dude, what the hell?"</p>
<p>"Look," Fundy sighs, clapping their hands together again, "I'm tired of this, man. I just want a break."</p>
<p>"And how's a high-five going to do anything?"</p>
<p>"The loop is transferred through touch. Maybe I can do that on purpose."</p>
<p>"Who said <i>I</i> wanted it?" Tubbo says, trying to pull his wrist from Fundy's hold.</p>
<p>Fundy high fives him again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <i>Zap.</i>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Ow!" Tubbo exclaims, yanking his hand away, "seriously?"</p>
<p>Fundy heaves a sigh of relief. It's out of his hands now; a burden has been lifted from his chest. Tubbo is smart, sensible, and not losing it more and more each loop. "…That must have been what impostor-me was trying to do that time with you and Minx. It <i>can</i> be randomly transferred, not just from an impostor. I must have been trying to give it to <i>her</i>, since she would have no idea what's going on, while you would only make it harder for the impostors by looping."</p>
<p>"Are you sure that… giving it to Tubbo was the right idea, though?" Tommy asks nervously. </p>
<p>Tubbo looks a bit betrayed, while Fundy shrugs. "He's a sensible kid. He's been the impostor for all your loops, hasn't he? Tommy, it's a different person every time, you can trust him."</p>
<p>Tommy still looks unsure, but doesn't protest. </p>
<p>"Well, I'm going. I've gotta, you know, make sure everything's as it should be." Fundy says, backing out of the room. Finally, an escape. </p>
<p>Of sorts. </p>
<p>He climbs down the ladder and into cafeteria. Now that the investigative work is up to Tubbo, he can spend his time guarding the ladder to the cargo bay. </p>
<p>It's not selfish.</p>
<p>If he does this right, then Tubbo doesn't even have to do anything.</p>
<p>He's not being selfish.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>____</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo's a bit taken aback at this. Suddenly, he's not the only one looping, except now he is?</p>
<p>He feels like he's missed a lot.</p>
<p>Tommy's eyeing him nervously, and he tries not to take offense. In the table Fundy's drawn up, <i>he's</i> been one of the murders. </p>
<p>And he hurt Tommy.</p>
<p>But it wasn't really him, not any more than it was ever actually Fundy or Phil. Just someone else wearing their faces, or digging through their brains. </p>
<p>He has the feeling that whatever is going on is much bigger than anyone on the ship. Perhaps an experimental corpgov weapon gone loose.</p>
<p>Now that he thinks about it, something that kills the occupants of a ship <i>using the crewmates themselves</i> is a great way to cover up a sabotage of a rival organisation. They're well into the constellar regions, but the brutal corpgovs of the outer ring might be considering reaching closer into the centre of occupied space. </p>
<p>A worrying thought. But just a thought.</p>
<p>"What now?" Tubbo absently asks. </p>
<p>Tommy, now sitting on the beanbag, sighs. "…Wait, I guess. We could help Fundy with his guard work, or look for information. <i>You're</i> the one who'll remember all of this, so it's really your call."</p>
<p>Tubbo frowns. "Don't be so pessimistic, Tommy. We might actually make it through the loop this time."</p>
<p>"I don't think so. Look at Fundy's entries - twice, he's relooped without actually dying. Even if everyone lives, we still have to find a way to escape."</p>
<p>What Tommy said is true, Fundy didn't write a cause of death, just a cloud of question marks.</p>
<p>"Okay, while we <i>wait,</i> why don't we go around and ask people what <i>they</i> think. Someone might be able to come up with a reasonable idea."</p>
<p>Tommy grimaces, but there isn't really anything better to do with their time, so he follows Tubbo out of the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>____</p>
<p>"Well, uh, is it possible that everyone spontaneously died?" Sylvee suggests.</p>
<p>"Dark." Tubbo says.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>"You said something about weird energy that gives you the loop, right? Is it possible that you just… ran out of energy?" Minx gestures vaguely at the lights.</p>
<p>"So, you think we should just charge ourselves like batteries or something?"</p>
<p>"Yeah," Tubbo grins, "we should just sit in the reactor core for a bit. It'll solve all of our problems."</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>"Okay, hear me out," Callum says, "what if this is just one big simulation?" He flops down on a beanbag in the lounge, mimicking an explosion with his hands.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"What if, while we were sleeping, the ship was boarded, and they stuck us in those glass tube-things with the headsets." He pulls out his phone, typing something in. He shoves the phone in Tommy's face. Tubbo leans over his shoulder to see an advertisement for a VR product targeted at the elderly. An old woman smiles, and a young avatar smiles with her.</p>
<p>"I mean, it's possible?"</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>They find Wilbur in Security. He leans back in his chair and stares up at the ceiling. "How do you know the loop is reset by your death at all?"</p>
<p>Tubbo looks down at his notes. "Well, I mean, it's pretty obvious, I think -"</p>
<p>Wilbur sits up, making eye contact with Tubbo, a strange look on his face. "What if it's something else, and you've always been <i>too dead</i> to know what it is. Being dead is like being asleep, isn't it? You wouldn't know how long you've been out."</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>"Well, maybe it's the 'impostors' who control the loops, and they just decide to reset the loop?" Phil says awkwardly.</p>
<p>"That doesn't really make sense. They don't really have a reason to do that."</p>
<p>Phil deflates a little. "I know. I'm going back to sleep."</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>"Maybe there's some kind of condition to exit the loop that you have to meet." Sparklez says. "All of this seems quite engineered."</p>
<p>Tubbo thinks about it. "You mean like, everyone has to survive, and if that need isn't met by the time limit, we keep getting a second chance?"</p>
<p>"The time limit doesn't really make sense." Sparklez murmurs. "I feel like we're missing something big."<br/>____</p>
<p>"What do you think is going on with the loop, Fundy?"</p>
<p>"I don't fucking know, man."</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>"What if it's just your memory of the loop that is passing over, not yourself?" Scott says.</p>
<p>Tommy squints. "What? That doesn't make sense."</p>
<p>"The energy stuff could just be magic that projects memories into your head."</p>
<p>"Huh... What difference would that make?" Tubbo asks</p>
<p>Scott shrugs. "Maybe it's all a dream, Tubbo."</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>"Well," Tubbo says, reading through his notes, "everyone on this ship is fucking <i>crazy</i>" <br/> He's pretty sure Tommy doesn't actually trust him, and is just joining in on the 'investigation' to keep an eye on him. He doesn't mind the extra help, and the guarantee that someone has his back.</p>
<p>"They might have some points, though." Tommy says leaning forward, elbows on the cafeteria table, head dramatically resting on his folded hands, "I think Sparklez could be right. Maybe this is some kind of fucking <i>puzzle</i> made by people who think they're better than us. As a kind of test."</p>
<p>"What for though? Why would anyone do this on purpose?"</p>
<p>"If there's one thing we've learned today, Tubbo, it's that nobody has any fucking clue."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Bet you weren't expecting THIS</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Misconceptions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Looking over the list of theories, Tubbo scrawls a few of his own. Just a summary of his thoughts, with even less cohesion than the others.</p>
<p>He taps at the paper. "I think Wilbur's idea might have some merit, as well as Minx's -- but there isn't much we can do about getting more 'energy' without risking our lives, so we'll look into that later. I think we should do a couple of diagnostics in Admin to see if anything is wrong with the ship itself."</p>
<p>"Makes sense." Tommy mumbles, rubbing at his forehead. </p>
<p>"We're just going to Admin." Tubbo calls across the room to Sylvee. She looks up and nods, going back to whatever she was doing before.</p>
<p>Tommy doesn't say anything, his normal chatter entirely absent. It's something he has to get used to, how things can happen to his friends in alternate timelines he has no memory of and there is <i>nothing</i> he can do to stop it. All he can do is hold onto the loop, so that no one else has to carry this burden.</p>
<p>In another universe, maybe this would be fun. Maybe he could have used it to his advantage, teaming up with Tommy to figure out the <i>perfect</i> pranks. </p>
<p>Tommy won't even look him in the eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Admin is empty when Tubbo slides the door open, Scott having obviously wandered off sometime after talking to him. "Check for any other breaches." Tubbo says, walking over to one of the consoles against the wall, sitting down and clicking through various programs. It reminds him of another loop. One of many times he's died.</p>
<p>Selecting a hollistic engine scan, Tubbo sits back and waits. The worst 'impostor' each time, as Fundy seems to be calling them, would be Wilbur, who knows everything about the ship and all of the access codes. It seems like every time he's been influenced, both impostors have real weapons, not improvised tools, or whatever they already had. </p>
<p>The logical conclusion to this thought is that the impostors know what the person they're impersonating knows, but not much else. And they don't carry any memories from one loop to the next.</p>
<p>And they make mistakes. These murderers are skilled and intelligent, but nowhere near infallible. They seem to be limited by what people already know.</p>
<p>So, Tubbo should be careful to never be influenced himself, and never let the other loopers near the cargo bay. Fundy's already got that covered. All Tubbo has to do is never go down there again, and not let Tommy, either.</p>
<p>The computer beeps, the engine scan complete. Tubbo sits forward to inspect the results.</p>
<p>Everything seems as normal. There's enough fuel to last them to their destination and back, and the engines themselves are running smoothly. The reactor could be better, but that's normal.</p>
<p>"Have you found anything?" Tubbo looks over his shoulder at Tommy. </p>
<p>"No." The frustration is clear in his voice. "Whatever is going on, I don't think it has anything to do with the ship."</p>
<p>Tubbo has to agree. There's nothing wrong with this hunk of metal, but there's also nothing special about it.</p>
<p>They're just small time smugglers, not merchants, politicians or even privateers. There's literally nothing about them that would make anyone <i>or anything</i> pay them any attention. If this is all really originating from the meteor like Fundy seems to believe, then it's all just random chance. A twist of fate against their favour. </p>
<p>But they'll make it out of this. They have to.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"What next, should we go and wake up Phil to make him look at star maps for us?"</p>
<p>The room is plunged into red light as the alarm starts up again. Dammit.</p>
<p>"That'll wake him up."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The issue at Oxygen is resolved before they even get there. Tubbo feels anger, mixed with disappointment, coursing through his veins. He <i>thought</i> Fundy had figured things out. He <i>thought</i> that he would be able to stand his ground and stop people going down there, but <i>clearly</i> he was wrong. He shouldn’t have relied on others so much.</p>
<p>Fundy hasn't left his post by the ladder. "<i>Fundy,</i>" Tubbo yells, "what the fuck is this? Did you fall asleep of the job or something?" Tubbo notices Tommy flinch slightly in the corner of his eye. </p>
<p>Fundy grimaces. "I didn't let anyone past me," he says, "and I didn't go down there myself. No one has been in the cargo bay, <i>I have no idea what the fuck is going on</i>. This shouldn't be happening!"</p>
<p>"Well, it <i>is.</i>" Tubbo cuts in sharply. Fundy has to be lying. Surely. They can't have been <i>wrong</i> about something so important for so long. "Come on, Tommy, let's go to Security."</p>
<p>With one last suspicious look behind him, Tubbo leaves Storage. </p>
<p>He doesn’t glance at anyone in the cafeteria, but he hears snippets of conversation.</p>
<p>"What was that?" Sylvee asks.</p>
<p>"The oxygen generator was broken," Scott says, "but we fixed it."</p>
<p>Tubbo misses how nice it was not fearing for his life. He's learned too much, but nothing of any use.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Wilbur's still in Security. He spins around in his chair, yoyo held lazily in one hand. Rather than displaying any live footage from the cameras, Wilbur's using the monitors to watch a TV show. "What do you want?"</p>
<p>"Can you get the footage of the cargo bay? I want to see who went in there." Tubbo asks.</p>
<p>Wilbur raises his eyebrows, but does as requested, closing the tab and pulling up the short term archive. "How long ago?" </p>
<p>"Just since we woke up."</p>
<p>Wilbur scrolls though the cameras, landing on the cargo bay. He winds it back. </p>
<p>They watch as the meteor slams through the wall, bending metal out of space, lodging itself in the twisted metal. The sudden opening pulls air out, shifting containers and knocking a few over. The auto seal is activated, filling the tiny gaps in the metal with foam. And then everything is still.</p>
<p>Wilbur yawns, speeding it up two times, and then four, eight. </p>
<p>Nothing happens.</p>
<p>Nobody enters the cargo bay.</p>
<p>The meteor is left entirely untouched.</p>
<p>"…And we're all caught up." Wilbur announces. "Now get out of my office."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>things are never that simple, are they</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. The Inside</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tubbo stumbles out of the room, Tommy following him, as always. Helplessness curls in his gut. He had been so sure that they'd solved it, but they're just as lost as they were when this all started.</p><p>"I still think that all of this is connected to the meteor." Tommy says.</p><p>Tubbo just stares at the wall.</p><p>Tommy seems to realise something, "what <i>would</i> you have done if Fundy hadn't messed with everything?"</p><p>"I probably would have gone down to cargo bay to see what's going on, but that wouldn't have gotten me anywhere -"</p><p>"But it did!" Tommy interrupts, "it got you influenced! Everyone who goes down there comes back murderous. But if no one goes down…"</p><p>"…then it must come up to meet us." Tubbo finishes, wide eyed. This implies that whatever the corrupting influence is, it has some kind of agency of its own. </p><p>The obvious source is the meteor. It delivers whatever this thing is right into the ship, and it must sit around for a bit waiting to be discovered before getting impatient and wandering off.</p><p>It could be anything - a parasite, a demon, a nanobot - so he has no idea <i>how</i> it travels. Is it restricted by physical barriers, like the wall? The fact that it entered through a breach implies that it is; it could have crawled past Fundy or gone through the vents.</p><p>"Fundy!" he realises, turning to look up at Tommy, "he was the closest, so wouldn't he have to be one of them?"</p><p>Tommy blinks, "…yeah. Should we… what do we do, then?"</p><p>Tubbo curls his hands in to fists, his fingernails digging into his skin uncomfortably. "I don't know. It would just be our word against his, and we don't actually know that it is him, or who the other one is."</p><p>"So we just keep an eye out, then?" </p><p>Tubbo nods uselessly. He wishes he knew more, so he could help people properly. Someone could already be dead.</p><p> </p><p>Fundy is still standing at the ladder. When he notices the boys at the doorway, he sighs. "I'm wasting my time here, aren't I? Somehow they got past me."</p><p>Tubbo doesn't say anything. Is there some kind of physical sign of whatever is possessing Fundy? He seems normal enough, if tired. He still has those ears that he and Tommy glued to his head before all of this started. Isn't it a thing that when someone is mind controlled, their eyes look different? Or your skin gets paler?<br/>
Tubbo squints. Everything looks normal.</p><p>Noticing Phil and Sparklez standing by the door, Tubbo gets the confidence to speak up. "Or, you know, <i>you've</i> been infected."</p><p>Fundy blinks, taken aback, "but I never went down there. There's no way -"</p><p>"Well, it's pretty clear that your theory isn't accurate. There might not be any way to prevent whatever this is from controlling people!"</p><p>"<i>What do we do then?</i> How do we make it out alive if it's <i>inevitable?</i>"</p><p>"We'll figure it out."</p><p> </p><p>Sylvee finds Minx in Weapons. </p><p>Dead.</p><p> </p><p>Once more, Tubbo finds himself at the cafeteria table, Tommy sitting opposite him and <i>still eyeing him with suspicion.</i></p><p>"There's a lot of security in Weapons, right? The cameras should have picked it up..." Phil says, crossing his arms.  </p><p>"I wasn't watching, but, yeah, they would've." Wilbur agrees. He turns around and vanishes down the hallway. Tubbo would've followed him again, he knows he isn't needed. Wilbur's already seen Minx die on cams, why would this loop be any different?</p><p>"…So then, it must have been someone who doesn't know the ship that well, since everyone here knows the layout of the cameras - weapons is one of the worst rooms in the ship to commit a murder."</p><p>Tommy itches at his cheek nervously, "so then it's Sylvee, Sparklez or CPK, yeah?"</p><p>"I was with Phil." Sparklez says, "and Sylvee, you were with Scott, weren't you?" She nods in affirmation, and everyone's eyes land on Callum. He cringes, awkwardly shrinking away.</p><p>"It wasn't me! This whole possession thing - how could it have gotten <i>me?</i> I was in the lounge for ages! This has to be some kind of set-up!" </p><p>"Callum." Scott says, and the accused man cringes.</p><p>"It wasn't my fault!" CPK shouts, "I didn’t know - Fundy should have told me - " his eyes widen and he cuts himself off, clapping his hands over his mouth. "<i>…Fundy should have done his job and guarded cargo bay properly so that nothing happened.</i>" he corrects.</p><p>Phil runs a hand over his face in exasperation. "So it's you and Fundy, huh? </p><p>"It makes sense that Fundy's influenced, I suspected it before any of this happened, but how did it get to CPK?" Tubbo muses as he uncaps and caps the tube of glue. No one responds. This whole extra layer is confusing, and complicating his search for a solution. It <i>must</i> have some autonomy, and crawled through the ship. But why all the way to the lounge?</p><p>"<i>Hey!</i> I had nothing to do with this - Callum is just trying to take me out with him! He knows that he could just pick anyone at random to throw under the bus with him." Fundy defends. "Don't fall for it!"</p><p>"I think it's better to be safe." Phil says, and the group agrees.</p><p> </p><p>When Wilbur comes back with proof that CPK did kill Minx, they decide to lock both the accused in the brig.</p><p>"Hey!" Fundy protests again, "we're <i>not working together</i> - leave me alone with him and he'll kill me! The only proof you have against me is from a known murderer!"</p><p>Scott hesitates. "He does have a point."</p><p>Tubbo stands, regaining a sense of determination. "Take one of them to Medbay. I think it's about time we take a look at them and figure out what's going on."</p><p> </p><p>____</p><p> </p><p>Fundy scowls, hands cuffed behind his back. "Tubbo, come on, there's nothing wrong with me. There's still someone out there -"</p><p>"If that's an issue," Tubbo says, "we'll deal with it later. I'm pretty confident that we're right about you here."</p><p>"It seemed like a genuine slip-up from CPK," Scott agrees from the other side of the room, where he's setting up the scanner.</p><p>There's a few people in the room, but not enough to feel crowded. Fundy's sitting on the floor against a wall, while Sparklez stands guard at the door. Tommy is sitting cross-legged on one of the beds, staring of into the distance. He's unnervingly silent. Tommy is never supposed to be quiet, especially not in a situation like this.</p><p>"Alright," Scott hits a button, and the scanner beeps, "get over here, Fundy."</p><p>Fundy begrudgingly stands, and Tubbo guides him over to the scanner. Fundy steps up onto the smoot surface, heaving a bored sigh as it begins its diagnostic.</p><p>"What got you into medical stuff, anyway?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>Scott shrugs. "I never really cared for it, not in particular. I'm more of a veterinarian, actually. I used to work at an animal sanctuary, and I picked all this up on the way, more of an accident than anything on purpose."</p><p>Fundy rolls his eyes, clearly not entertained by the small-talk.</p><p>"What kind of animals?"</p><p>"All sorts of things, dogs, crocodiles. There was a flamingo, once."</p><p>"A flamingo? Eret would've liked that." Oh - Eret! Tubbo had almost forgotten about the other half of the crew!</p><p>He pulls out his phone, calling Niki. He pulls his notes out, reading over what he and Fundy know about the situation on the planet.</p><p>"<i>Hello Tubbo!</i>" Niki answers, cheerfully, but out of breath, "<i>this isn't -</i>"</p><p>Tubbo interrupts her. "Turn right at Timekeeping."</p><p>"<i>What?</i>"</p><p>"Just trust me."</p><p>There's a loud crumpling as she shoves her phone in her pocket.</p><p>Tubbo hangs up, examining Fundy's notes. The next person to call would be Techno. He dials him, and waits for him to pick up.</p><p>"And that's the scan done," Scott announces, "hmm."</p><p>"Is there anything off? Like, a parasite or something?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>"Well… everything seems normal," Scott brings up the previous scans of Fundy to compare. "There's definitely only one non-bacterial lifeform, so no worms in his ear or anything."</p><p>"Gross." Tommy says.</p><p>"That's a relief." Fundy comments.</p><p>Techno still isn't picking up. "What about non biological things?" </p><p>"The only metal on him, aside from the handcuffs, is his knife." Scott reaches into Fundy's pocket, the man not leaning away fast enough to stop the man snatching the butterfly knife away. "I'll take that." He sets it down on a bench, returning to look over the results. "Looks like someone's been spending too much time in zero gravity. You're three millimetres taller than normal."</p><p>Finally, Tubbo's call goes through. "<i>Tubbo, why are you callin' me right now? Isn't it, like, 4 AM on the ship right now? I'm really busy right now.</i>"</p><p>"Techno." Tubbo makes the urgency clear in his voice, "where are you right now?" </p><p>"<i>Climbin' a fire escape. There's this guy up on the roof and I'm following him -</i>"</p><p>"Tell me when you get to the top."</p><p>Techno hums. After a few seconds, "<i>I'm here.</i>" He barely sounds out of breath. Impressive.</p><p>"Grab onto the guy in blue!"</p><p>"<i>What?</i>"</p><p>"Just do it!"</p><p>Tubbo hears a commotion, and someone shouting.</p><p>There's a strange noise, the phone crackles, and the sound of Techno's phone clattering on the phone. Tubbo can hear the boom of a distant explosion. "<i>I think I just teleported.</i>" Techno says, sounding dazed. "<i>I'm gonna call you back.</i>" and hangs up.</p><p>Well, it seems like that's solved. Tubbo pockets his phone, tuning back in to what Scott's saying.</p><p>"Fundy's heartbeat is a tiny bit slower than normal, but that isn't particularly noteworthy -"</p><p>"Check his brain activity." Tubbo suggests.</p><p>Scott raises his eyebrows, and turns to inspect another monitor of results. "That's strange." he says after a few seconds.</p><p>Tubbo leans forward, "what?"</p><p>"His brain is crazy-active." Scott gestures at the diagram his frontal lobe, which is illuminated with flashing neurons. "Compared to this, it's like there's literally twice as much going on." The scan from last week shows more dark regions, and is duller in general.</p><p>"Does that make me smarter?" Fundy asks.</p><p>"No. It just means you're thinking… differently." Scott looks through a box on the desk, pulling out a handheld scanner, with a think cable that he plugs into the wall. He points it at Fundy. After a few minutes, it displays a result. "Oh, wow."</p><p>"What is it?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>"He's setting off this energy scanner. There's enough… something… in him <i>to power a small ship</i>."</p><p>Tubbo just stares at Scott. What the hell. "Wait - is it like the time loop energy? Scan me."</p><p>Scott presses the reset button, and it jams slightly. Pulling at it eventually sets it back in place, and Scott smacks the scanner a couple of times with his palm. "This thing is <i>ancient.</i> Probably can only do a couple of scans before overheating." He points it at Tubbo, who tries not to move as he waits for the scan to complete.</p><p>It beeps sadly, and Scot reads the tiny screen. "You're also unusually high, but nowhere near comparable. Having the loop and being the impostor at the same time can't be good for you. It might give you some kind of radiation sickness or something."</p><p>This is probably why the loop seems to be passed on by the impostor way more than anyone else - the buildup of energy is unstable, and the extra energy is transferred to someone else as quickly as possible. Like static electricity, but much more powerful. And life-changing.</p><p>Fundy sighs. "I'm <i>not an impostor</i>. I must still have the loop, while Tubbo just has the remnants of it." He pulls at his handcuffs, but they don’t give.</p><p>"That doesn't make any sense."</p><p>"<i>You</i> don't make any sense."</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>Tommy speaks up from his seat on the bed. "Are there any physical signs of it? Anything that we could use?"</p><p>Scott shakes his head. "Everything is the same." He packs up the tools, switching the floor scanner off. "I'm going to get a coffee." Sparklez steps aside to let him pass. </p><p>Fundy wanders over to a spare bed, sitting on it. </p><p>"So…" Tubbo says, "what do you think of me?"</p><p>Fundy gives him an odd look. "You're… Tubbo. You're nice, and funny, and way smarter than you look," (what’s that supposed to mean?) "…you can be a bit annoying sometimes, but Tommy is way worse."</p><p>Seems normal. "Who are you?"</p><p>Fundy squints. "I'm Fundy."</p><p>"What's your job?"</p><p>"I'm a security guard."</p><p>"No you're not. Minx is the security guard. You're off by half a year."</p><p>"You know what I meant." Fundy grumbles. </p><p>"I'm not sure I do. What are you?"</p><p>"I'm human, Tubbo. I'm not <i>possessed</i>. You're acting really weird."</p><p>Tommy hops off the bed, and walks over. Without saying anything, he slaps Fundy in the face. The man recoils, trying not to lose his balance with his hands cuffed behind his back.</p><p>"What the fuck was <i>that</i> for?"</p><p>Tommy grins, the first time today that Tubbo's seen him look happy at all. "Just testing your reflexes."</p><p>Tubbo is hit with a sudden wave of nausea. He stumbles back, and is suddenly on his back. He opens his eyes and sees the ceiling. His bedroom ceiling. The alarm flashes on, and off again.</p><p>Looks like he ran out of time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Important lore: Minx is a redshirt. No wonder she keeps dying</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Double Take</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Before Tubbo even sits up from bed, he considers his options. The beginning of each loop is a bit of a crossroads, allowing for very different courses to be taken. Does he want to look for more information, or try and solve everything with what he has? Everyone on the ship is skilled in their own ways, extremely capable in their fields, but their combined efforts have yet to bring any results.</p>
<p>He could let everything play out as it had, not even let Fundy know he doesn't have the loop anymore, but <i>pay more attention this time</i>.</p>
<p>To everything. What everyone says, where they go, at what time things happen, and anomalies in the ship. Instead of changing things, he can use this opportunity to <i>study</i> the loop.</p>
<p>With the idea resolving in his head, he stands, pulling on his jacket and following Tommy out of the room. The hallway is dimly lit, Fundy standing at his door, looking very decrepit and bitter.  Wilbur stands by the console as usual, reading the information. "There's been a breach. In the starboard of the cargo bay. It's probably nothing, but it's best if -"</p>
<p>Fundy looks up, pulling his expression and posture into something a bit more human and interrupts him. "Alright, nobody is going down there, I'm in a time loop and there's something very bad going on. Something is making people who go to the breach all murderous."</p>
<p>"What?" Scott says blankly.</p>
<p>What had Tubbo said last time? </p>
<p>"Are you alright, Fundy?" Minx asks, but Fundy is staring off into the distance, clearly not paying any attention, looking sad and mad again.</p>
<p>"He's not lying." Tubbo says. "I'm in a time loop too. I keep waking up today with the alarms, and we've always died." Except not last time, he keeps to himself, because Fundy doesn't know that.</p>
<p>Wilbur looks between them, "Are you being serious? This isn't a <i>really</i> bad bit?"</p>
<p>"You can trust me here." Wilbur studies his expression, before coming to some kind of conclusion.</p>
<p>"Then what do we do here?"</p>
<p>Phil yawns. Sparklez is resting a hand on his hip (not his hip, his gun). Tommy shifts uncomfortably.</p>
<p>Tubbo scratches at his hair, "uh, I'm not sure. There's something really convoluted going on with the loops, it seems like Fundy knows more than me here. He said something about not checking on the breach, which seems like a good idea."</p>
<p>The group's attention shifts to Fundy, but he doesn't say anything, abruptly striding forwards, grabbing Tubbo by the wrist and pushing him into his room. Tommy closes the door behind them, cutting off the confused group outside. Fundy searches through the pile on the desk, pulling out the same notebook as last time. He writes messily, and hands it to Tubbo. "Write what you know."</p>
<p>He wrote the same thing as last time, truly confirming that he doesn't hold the loop anymore. Despite the setback not sharing all that he knows could cause, Tubbo writes as if he hadn't lived through yesterday. This is a proper investigation into what happened to Fundy, he has to follow what happened.</p>
<p>Fundy snatches the book from his hands, reading through it and looking a bit disappointed. He hands it to Tommy. What's going on inside Fundy's head here? He seems agitated, impatient, the kind of person who <i>would</i> do something illogical and get himself influenced by a magic space rock.</p>
<p>But he hadn't gone down, it had come up to him -- maybe Tubbo could get a glimpse of it, before it takes hold of Fundy, who would probably immediately kill him…</p>
<p>It'll be worth it. Probably.</p>
<p>"So, we decided that the loop is transferred through… static electricity?" Tommy asks.</p>
<p>Here we go again. Fundy grabs Tubbo's hand and starts the whole thing with the high fives again. Clap, clap, clap, nothing happens, because Tubbo already has the loop. "What are you doing?" he says, to keep up appearances. </p>
<p>Oh wait, <i>he</i> has the loop, and there's a chance it'll transfer from him back to Fundy. He yanks his wrist from Fundy's grip rather painfully, quickly backing away and out of his reach. Tommy watches very nervously.</p>
<p>"<i>Hey</i>." Fundy complains, "come back, I'm trying to do something here."</p>
<p>Tommy grimaces, "and what is that?"</p>
<p>"The loop can transfer through touch… I was just <i>testing</i> if I could do it on purpose." Fundy says defensively. Tubbo gets that he's tired, he's tired too, but it's a bit messed up regardless. But Tubbo can handle the loop. He just needs to let everything play out.</p>
<p>Tubbo doesn’t say anything. This isn't a huge change, not allowing Fundy to believe he doesn't have the loop anymore, but it's looking to be a huge mental toll. He looks wound up, none of the calmness he had when he knew he was out of the loop.</p>
<p>"You wanted to give it to <i>Tubbo</i>?" Tommy asks, and it hurts. After everything he just did to show Tommy he doesn't have to be afraid of him, and it's been entirely undone by the reset. </p>
<p>Fundy throws his hands into the air in exasperation. "Whatever - <i>it doesn't matter anyway</i>. I'm going to go guard the cargo bay." With an angry look thrown at Tubbo, he strides out of the room. </p>
<p>Well, that didn’t go entirely to plan. Fundy doesn't know that he doesn't need to pick up information, and Tubbo's minute changes have annoyed him, which isn't ideal. Makes him more hostile, probably a bit more secretive. </p>
<p>Tommy goes to sit down on the beanbag, but Tubbo stops him. "No, we don't have any time to waste just sitting around, we need to get down there and see what's going on." He leaves the room, trusting Tommy to follow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I think we should split up." Tubbo suggests, "I know you want to keep your eye on me, but I can <i>promise</i> you that I'm not going to kill anyone. And I'll stay safe."</p>
<p>Tommy looks down at him, something complicated in his eyes. </p>
<p>"…I was keeping this from Fundy, but his whole thing with transferring the loop actually worked." Tubbo says quietly. "Last time. He doesn’t remember, so he thinks it never happened. His plan stop anyone from becoming an 'impostor' didn't work, and I'm going to find out <i>why</i>."</p>
<p>"<i>What?</i> Why didn't you tell him that?"</p>
<p>"I'm using this to find information. If everything happens exactly as it did, then I can see what went wrong. If he knows, it won't be accurate."</p>
<p>Tommy looks unimpressed with this answer, but doesn't question him any further.</p>
<p>What does he do from here? Last time he was all over the ship talking to everyone, but that won't be useful to keep his eye on Fundy. He could watch from Security, but whatever this <i>thing</i> is, it's probably too small to be picked up by the cameras. The best look would be from the same room as Fundy.</p>
<p>(He tries not to think about how that would make him an equally easy target for it)</p>
<p>"You should go to Security." Tubbo says, "see if you can spot anything on the cameras that Wilbur doesn't." An awkward smile forms on his face, "…and you can still keep an eye on me.'"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fundy's in Storage, leaning against the wall, the hatch to the next deck down firmly sealed. Tubbo jumps up and sits on a barrel of fuel against the far wall, and just watches. Fundy gives him a confused look and says nothing, flicking his butterfly knife open and shut.</p>
<p>The weapon that will probably be used to kill Tubbo in about half an hour. Somehow, he doesn't feel much about it. It's something he's resigned to. </p>
<p>Mirroring Fundy's mindless fidgeting, Tubbo clicks his pen. Fundy twitches at the noise, so he nervously puts it back in his pocket. Doesn't want to provoke his crewmate into doing something dumb. He checks his watch. It's almost 3 AM, a few minutes past the first time oxygen was sabotaged. Since nothing's happened, it's pretty sure proof that Fundy's blocking off of the cargo bay definitely delays things. Maybe they can find a way to delay it indefinitely and make it to civilisation without anything ever happening…</p>
<p>The vent in the wall behind him blows cold air on his hand, so he absently slides it shut to cut it off.</p>
<p>…It probably wouldn't work. Someone getting controlled seems like an inevitability. It would be nice though, to make it out with everyone alive and everyone sane.</p>
<p>It would be like none of this ever happened.</p>
<p>"What are you doing down here?" Fundy eventually asks.</p>
<p>Tubbo shrugs. "I, uh… I just wanted to help out."</p>
<p>Fundy flicks his knife shut. <i>Click.</i> "I thought you were mad at me. For the whole, you know, thing with trying to transfer the loop."</p>
<p>"It's… okay. Just don't do it next time?" </p>
<p>"…Next time." Fundy sighs. "You don’t think we'll make it out of this one."</p>
<p>Fuck. "I'm just used to things not working out?"</p>
<p>Fundy nods empathetically, not making eye contact.</p>
<p>They sit in silence from there, Tubbo too nervous and Fundy a bit distant for them to have a conversation. The pure blandness is itching at Tubbo, but he can't stop paying attention to every shadow, any flicker in the lights, the creaking sounds of hull as it slightly shifts. He doesn't see anything, other than imagined movement in the corner of his eye. The relative darkness, although he's used to it, doesn’t help much. He checks his watch again. It's been over half an hour. Half an hour, just sitting here. </p>
<p>Weariness tugs at him.</p>
<p>Scott walks in, but when he sees the sombre mood, pauses and just turns around and walks away again. Fundy doesn't acknowledge this at all.</p>
<p>And that's about all that happens for another twenty minutes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He's startled out of his thoughts by the sound of yelling down the hallway. He makes panicked eye contact with Fundy, who looks equally confused.</p>
<p>Debating what to do in his head, investigating what's going on wins out. He runs to the source of the noise. He's met by the sight of an argument, Minx yelling at Wilbur.</p>
<p>"I <i>know</i> you did it you <i>fooking</i> messed up -- you're trying to hide it, but you were <i>there!</i> There's no one else it could have been!" She yells, having to be held back by a disturbed looking Scott.</p>
<p>"Minx." Wilbur warns.</p>
<p>"What's happening?" Tubbo asks. The group pauses to look over at him.</p>
<p>"Oh, Tubbo." Scott says sadly.</p>
<p>"What's going on?" Tubbo says with more force.</p>
<p>"You might want to sit down." Sylvee suggests, sounding a bit unsure.</p>
<p>"I can handle myself. I've seen all of this before." Tubbo snaps.</p>
<p>"Tommy's dead!" Minx says in an outburst, "<i>and Wilbur killed him.</i>"</p>
<p>Tubbo takes a step back. This shouldn't be happening - he didn't change anything substantial. It should be Fundy, it <i>has</i> to be Fundy. He's the closest the breach, the easiest to access, so it should have…<br/>…But Tubbo didn't see anything. Somehow, things have changed. Probably his fault, but that doesn't matter. This is where he's ended up, so he'll figure things out.</p>
<p>And now Tommy's dead. It's his fault - Tubbo's the one who told him to go to Security with Wilbur. The two of them were alone, simple enough for Wilbur to take him out without anyone ever knowing. </p>
<p>Except, apparently, Minx saw it happen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After everyone shuts up and sits down, with a glare at Wilbur to keep him from interrupting, Minx begins her story.</p>
<p>"So, you know how when I'm feeling restless but there isn't anything to do, I just wander through the ship? I was doing that, and I heard a commotion from Security. I run in, and I see Wilbur standing over Tommy's dead body, messing with the security tapes. He <i>fooking strangled</i> Tommy or something."</p>
<p>Wilbur sighs. "Her story doesn't make any sense. Why would I kill Tommy with my bare hands? I could just go and get one of the weapons <i>that only I have access to</i>"</p>
<p>"Except I was guarding the entrance to the cargo bay," Fundy reminds the group, "so if you wanted to, you couldn't without looking very suspicious."</p>
<p>It's a bit weird how everyone's acting so blasé about the death of the youngest crewmate. When did this become normal?</p>
<p>Wilbur runs a hand over his face tiredly. "Tubbo? Why don't you go and get Phil?"</p>
<p>"<i>Hey</i> - you don't need to baby me."</p>
<p>"I know, but I'd prefer not to have you around for this." Genuine concern for a traumatised kid, or splitting up the pack? Minx's story seems pretty believable…</p>
<p>Tubbo looks to Fundy, who shrugs. It doesn't really matter, does it? There's no way he's making it out this loop alive, since he's <i>not</i> going to live with someone, especially Tommy, dead when he could have prevented it. Will prevent it. He might as well get Phil. "He's not going to remember any of this, anyway." He hears Fundy say behind him as he leaves and climbs up the ladder.</p>
<p>There's no one in the hallway. He knocks on Phil's door, and after a moment hears an annoyed, mostly asleep. "What?"</p>
<p>"Someone's dead, Phil."</p>
<p>"<i>What?</i>" The shuffling of blankets follows this, and footsteps approaching the door before it's yanked open. Phil blinks the tiredness away as he walks past Tubbo and to the cafeteria. "Ugh, I really shouldn't have stayed up so late."</p>
<p>Following behind him, Tubbo could use anything to distract himself. "What were you even doing?"</p>
<p>"Pilot stuff. The stellar charts were glitching out and everything was completely off for about half an hour. Complete messed up the autopilot. Had to punch everything in manually, since the comms haven't been working. And since it was already late, I called Kristin for an hour or so. If I’d known this had happened, I would have just gone to bed."</p>
<p>"Wait, you've known that the comms are off? With the random places we can and can't reach?"</p>
<p>"It’s not random." Phil says, pausing at the ladder, "We can only contact places behind us."</p>
<p>Tubbo would ask for more details, but he's distracted by panicked yelling. Phil drops to the deck below, and Tubbo doesn't hesitate to follow. </p>
<p>Wilbur's holding a knife to Fundy's throat, like a hostage, backing away from the group. Scott is knelt by Minx, lying too-still on the floor. The rest of the group stand back cautiously. "Stay back!" Wilbur yells, and his voice drops to an unnatural calm. "I'm not going to hesitate here." He holds the knife closer to Fundy, the blade just pressing against his skin.</p>
<p>"Wilbur, you're not winning this." Phil says carefully, holding his hands up, like Wilbur is a scared animal. "We're not going to let you go. You'll just kill the rest of us."</p>
<p>The impostor tilts his head, "oh, but he's your <i>precious</i> looper. He's the only one who could remember this. Doesn't that make his life so much more valuable than all of yours?" he almost sings. Fundy tries to struggle out of his grip. "Watch it." Wilbur says sharply.</p>
<p>"So, what?" Tubbo asks incredulously, "you'd just spare him and kill everyone else?"</p>
<p>Wilbur grins widely, "yep. Tommy was telling me <i>all about</i> how important information is to you loopers. When this loop ends, maybe Fundy'll have <i>learned something</i>." Tubbo feels like Wilbur is lying. There's <i>no way</i> that he would do something to help out his enemies. This twisted version of his friend probably knows how to end the loop, and will do it and get away with his mass murder.</p>
<p>"I don't know about you, but I'm not excited to sacrifice my life for this guy." Sylvee says hesitantly.</p>
<p>Fundy swallows nervously, "why are you doing this anyway? Why'd you kill Tommy?"</p>
<p>Wilbur rolls his eyes. "Oh, he <i>deserved it</i>. The fucker wouldn't shut up."</p>
<p>"You just <i>felt like it?</i>" Fundy asks incredulously, resigning to his position as hostage.</p>
<p>"I like my peace and quiet and I like my personal space." Wilbur says simply.</p>
<p>Tubbo takes a look around the room. He hadn't noticed earlier, but one of the tables has been disconnected from its locks and upturned against the wall, Sylvee half standing behind it. The cutlery drawer has been yanked out and is on the floor, spoons strewn all over the floor. That would be where Wilbur got his weapon from - there's a knife that must have slid across the tiles, just out of Tubbo's reach. There's now a tablecloth covering Minx's body, Scott sitting cross legged next to her and fidgeting awkwardly. Sparklez and CPK are nowhere to be seen, one or both of them are probably dead by now.</p>
<p>Tommy isn't here either, he thinks - before he remembers.</p>
<p>"You’re not winning this," Tubbo says, "you've backed yourself into a corner. If you kill him, you lose all the power you have."</p>
<p>"If I lose, then none of this ever happened. So what does it matter?" Wilbur's manic grin reappears on his face and oh <i>fuck</i> -</p>
<p>Tubbo darts forwards, grabbing the spare knife on the floor, the room falling into chaos as Fundy <i>screams</i>. Terrible, guttural, gross. Wilbur lets him fall to the floor, his hands clutched around his bleeding neck. "Anyone else?" Wilbur exclaims, bloody knife held out as he spreads his arms. Ever the showman.</p>
<p>"Keep pressure on the wound!" Scott calls from across the room.</p>
<p>"<i>Shut up Scott</i>" Wilbur complains, "you're so <i>boring</i>."</p>
<p>"Wilbur." Phil says carefully, "this isn't you. Can you try and fight it?"</p>
<p>Wilbur's hand spasms. His grip on the knife tightens. "And you shut up too. You're all <i>shit.</i> Why did I ever hire <i>any of you</i>?"</p>
<p>They're at a standoff. Wilbur, armed and dangerous. The rest of the group, not as much. Fundy's dying on the floor.</p>
<p>They're interrupted by the groan of the alarm as it switches on. The room flashes red. Wilbur uses the opportunity to kick Fundy, who rolls over. He's barely conscious. Holding up pretty well, all things considered.</p>
<p>Scott, standing by a screen, exclaims "it's the oxygen!" With a hurried look around the room, he turns runs down the corridor. Sylvee sidles past the table to join him.</p>
<p>"Looks like you're running out of time." Wilbur says, and kicks Fundy again. Phil grabs the knife from Tubbo, striding forwards and pointing it at Wilbur.</p>
<p>"I hate to do this." Phil says.</p>
<p>"You wouldn't. We both know who would win in a knife fight." They circle around each other, Phil carefully stepping around Fundy's legs. </p>
<p>"Good thing he brought a gun." Phil says, nodding down the hallway behind Wilbur. Wilbur turns around quickly, but there's no one there. Phil uses the opportunity to kick Wilbur in the back of the knees, knocking him to the ground. He lands on his hands, and before he can stand again, Phil steps heavily on Wilbur's hand that holds the knife.</p>
<p>Wilbur yells out in pain, and before he can do anything, Tubbo runs over and pries the weapon away from him. Wilbur groans and collapses to the floor, looking up at the ceiling with an expression that can only be described as… dreamy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The alarm doesn't shut off.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Don't know how long it's been, but the official techno character tag doesn't have his real name in it anymore, which is pretty pog.</p>
<p>This is the longest chapter yet, I was considering cutting it in half and posting the second half later, but I thought I'd just spoil you.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Intermission</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What do we do?" Tubbo asks hurriedly, "the oxygen generators are gonna break!"</p><p>Phil takes a step back, "we can't afford to leave Wilbur unguarded - and Fundy really needs help."</p><p>"So we just <i>trust the others to be fine, eventually</i>? They could all be dead!"</p><p>Setting his weapon down, Phil kneels down to pick up the now-unconscious Fundy, bridal style, struggling to balance the weight of the taller man. "I'm taking him to Medical. Keep an eye on Wilbur."</p><p>Blood drips onto the floor.</p><p>Wilbur hasn't moved from where he collapsed, looking up at the ceiling. The alarm continues to flash, but he doesn't react at all. Tubbo looks down the hallway. He's torn. They've incapacitated Wilbur, and leaving him unattended will allow him to recuperate and arm himself again, putting everyone in danger.</p><p>But the few survivors left will die when they run out of oxygen.</p><p> </p><p>"Wilbur?" Tubbo says, nudging Wilbur with his foot, "how about we go to the brig?"</p><p>Wilbur's eyes pull away from his distant stare and land on Tubbo. "Nah."</p><p>And that's final, isn't it? There's no way that Tubbo can physically move him, and he can't threaten him since the impostors have little sense of self-preservation. </p><p>(He's unpleasantly reminded of his second loop, where Phil probably got flung out of the airlock when he opened it to drain the oxygen. Probably killed his partner, too.)</p><p>The alarm is still going. They're really running out of time.</p><p>He takes a few steps to the doorway before he hesitates. He can't just <i>stand here</i> while they run out of air, but he also can't leave Wilbur unattended -</p><p>And suddenly he collides painfully with the floor. A foot lands on his chest, pushing the wind out of him and pinning him down. Standing over him is Wilbur, expressionless. "…Took you forever to let your guard down." he says, reaching over to grab Tubbo's knife.</p><p>Oh fuck.</p><p>Tubbo scrambles to get away, trying to push the suffocating weight of Wilbur's boot off of him to get <i>away</i>. "Wilbur, <i>please</i> -" He punches Wilbur's leg, to no avail.</p><p>Wilbur looks unphased, and very unimpressed. He twirls his knife, almost dropping it. "I never was as good at knife tricks as Fundy." He muses.</p><p>The room flashes red and back to dullness.</p><p>Tubbo tries to yank Wilbur's boot from his chest, but he just presses with more weight. Stall stall <i>stall</i>, he just needs to stay alive -- "So was that whole lying-on-the-floor thing an act?" he wheezes.</p><p>"Yep. Just play dumb until they forget you're not." Wilbur finally smiles, and reaches down to hold the knife to Tubbo's neck. Tubbo's hands let go of Wilbur's laces to grab at the handle, desperate to push it away from himself. </p><p>To no avail, because all it takes is a quick jerk of Wilbur's arm.</p><p> </p><p>____</p><p> </p><p>The mix of emotions he feels when he wakes up alive is complicated. He's in his room, and the alarm rings as it always has. He's relieved that he's alive. He's scared. He's glad he has another chance again. He's shaking.</p><p>His hands reach to his neck, finding himself completely fine. It never happened. </p><p>(It hasn't happened <i>yet</i>)</p><p>He puts his troubles to the side; he needs to work his way closer to fixing everything. He can sort out all of these complicated memories later. When it's not life and death.</p><p>"Tommy?" he says weakly.</p><p>Tommy startles and looks up at him. "…What?"</p><p>"You don't trust me." A statement. The question has been answered too many times. Tommy shifts his weight awkwardly. Tubbo sits up, hanging his legs over the edge of his bunk. "I need you to trust me."</p><p>"Tubbo, you're literally going to murder people -"</p><p>"I'm in a time loop too! There's something going on - it isn't always the same person, they're infected by something."</p><p>Tommy looks sceptical. Tubbo looks through the pile of papers for the notebook, drawing the table that Fundy has done and filling in everything he knows. <i>Everything,</i> since he knows now that holding things back does more harm than good.</p><p>He hands the book to Tommy, and then runs out the door. Everyone is standing there, as usual. "Alright." Fundy announces, and Tubbo grabs him by the arm and pulls him into the room, closing the door to cut off the very confused crew. "Hey!" Fundy complains. </p><p>Tubbo grabs the book back from Tommy, presenting it to Fundy. "You don't have the loop anymore. You gave it to me."</p><p>("Do you think we can trust Tubbo?" Tommy asks, and is ignored.)</p><p>Fundy blinks. "Oh… uh. <i>Really?</i>"</p><p>"The loop before last." Tubbo says, and he decides that he will not mention how weird Fundy was about it all. Ignorance is bliss when it comes to embarrassing yourself in front of people.</p><p>"So this is the second time we've had the conversation, then."</p><p>Tubbo looks down at the floor. "…No. I didn't tell you about it last time. I wanted to investigate how you became the impostor."</p><p>Fundy frowns, a bit offended. "Did you figure it out, then?"</p><p>"Uh."</p><p>"Then I guess it's something to look into a bit more. I've been thinking that the best outcome would be if everyone makes it out with no one infected."</p><p>" - And it'd make it easier to find how to make it out of this alive if no one's trying to kill us." Tommy butts in.</p><p>"But that's what you tried, and it didn't work." Tubbo says flatly. "You got infected. When I tried to find out <i>how</i> it was someone else."</p><p> </p><p>Fundy frowns. "Why don't you walk us through what happened?"</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Standing in the storage room, Tubbo gestures at the ladder down. "You were standing here, and you closed the hatch. You didn't move around or anything." Fundy walks over, investigating the patch of floor.</p><p>"Nothing unusual. I don't see any openings to the tunnels… the hatch is probably still completely airtight…" he covers his mouth in thought. "And where were you?"</p><p>Tubbo leans against the wall. "Right here." He pats his hand against the metal. <i>thud thud.</i></p><p>Tommy stands in the middle of the room, gaze swapping between the corners. "I don't really see why Tubbo being here would change anything. Unless these parasite fuckers have eyes and self-awareness."</p><p>Fundy turns around. "Well, the assumption we have is that they don't move through walls. The only way they could travel around would be through doors, passageways…"</p><p>"Vents." Tubbo realises. His gaze falls to the perfectly innocent, innocuous vent almost obscured by a crate. "<i>I closed a vent</i>. Because it was a bit cold."</p><p>"<i>And that blocked it off!</i>" Fundy exclaims, "And so it moved on down the system to the next person it found!"</p><p>"If you didn't do that, then it would've gotten you." Tommy says, skepticism still written on his face and how he holds himself, arms crossed.</p><p>So Tubbo had saved Fundy, but doomed Tommy to be killed by Wilbur. Everything he does has some kind of equivalent exchange that is worse than what he fixed. Does everything require sacrifice?</p><p> </p><p>Sounds bleak.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Something this universe has is Corpgovs, which a corportations that invested in space travel and ended up with a wide enough influence to have citizens that are their legal obligation to protect or are free to exploit or whatever. Literally a corporate government.<br/>Do you have any ideas for what one of these brands could be? Points for being absurd (Duplo) and/or fitting (Amazon). Best one gets to be canon</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Continuous</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tubbo sighs"So. We've probably missed our chance to prevent anyone from getting infected today."</p><p>Fundy nods solemnly. "We aren't making it out of this one." </p><p>This brings the question - if they find how to end the loop, would it be right to exit with people possessed? Definitely not with anyone <i>dead</i> - Tubbo is willing to relive the day over and over again to get the perfect outcome where everyone comes out alive. </p><p>Is there a cure, or are they doomed the moment they touch whatever this thing is? Will they be able to become themselves again, or is it stuck in them until they die? When it comes to a point that Tubbo <i>can</i> make the call, will he make the right choice?</p><p>"Might as well try," is all he can say.</p><p>"We should do a sweep of the ship." Fundy suggests, "I'll go check the front of the ship, and you two look around the back and the top deck." He is walks out of the room, pausing at the doorway. "It's probably best if you two stay together."</p><p>"What about you?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>"I'll be fine." Fundy says, though he doesn't seem to fully believe it.</p><p> </p><p>They look around the ship. Whether they're looking for suspicious activity or a dead body, Tubbo isn't sure. Tubbo yanks the door to Electrical open, Tommy staying outside as he flicks the lights on and looks around the corner. They're really just stalling. Waiting for the impostors' first move.</p><p>There's nothing to see in the dusty room, so they move on.</p><p>Tubbo can't help but notice how Tommy tenses when they walk into the engine room. Like he's expecting something to happen. But nothing happens, and after glancing around the rumbling engine, Tommy follows Tubbo out of the room. As strange as it is, Tubbo is starting to get used to his friend's guarded silence. </p><p>Doesn't mean he likes it.</p><p>"Should we check on Wilbur?" Tubbo asks awkwardly. Tommy shrugs noncommittally. Tubbo doesn't <i>want</i> to talk to Wilbur, what with how he's repeatedly been weird and murderous. He opens the door anyway, walking into the room before he processes what he sees. Tommy inhales sharply.</p><p>It's a macabre sight, the lights of the monitors flashing over Wilbur's slumped body. Laid on the floor, it looks as if he could be asleep. If not for the pool of blood.</p><p>"Is he…?" Tommy asks quietly.</p><p>Tubbo reluctantly walks forward to press his hand to Wilbur's neck, finding no pulse. He's still warm. "Tommy - this was recent," he hisses, "stay quiet. They could still be around."</p><p>Tommy turns to look outside of the room, cautiously backing in to the relative safeness of the crime scene. "What do you mean?" he whispers. </p><p>"Whoever it was could try and hurt us because we found the body. It's a long way to the cafeteria. No one would know."</p><p>"But surely they would have left? They wouldn't stay here."</p><p>"Let's just go back the way we came. Quietly."</p><p>Tubbo stands, gesturing for Tommy to follow. He pays close attention to any noises, but if there is anything to hear, it's drowned out by the rumble and crackle of the engines.</p><p>And then they turn the corner, and see Sparklez standing in the hallway. He looks up, "how's it going?"</p><p>Tubbo waves his hand in a so-so gesture, unwilling to give too much away. Tommy, on the other hand, is very obviously nervous.</p><p>"What have the two of you been up to?"</p><p>"We've just been walking around." Tubbo says, careful with his words.</p><p>Sparklez looks over his shoulder.</p><p>Tubbo fidgets awkwardly. His breathing sounds too loud, but no one else seems to notice.</p><p>And then there's a gun in his face.</p><p>Tommy shoves him to the side, just in time for the lasershot to fly past his face and bury itself in the wall with a fizz. Tubbo stumbles back. "Get behind me." Tommy says. </p><p>"I thought you didn't trust me." Tubbo gasps, his heartbeat thudding in his chest.</p><p>"Doesn't mean I can let you get hurt." </p><p>Sparklez has the gun pointed at Tommy now. "Touching. I don't know how you were expecting that."</p><p>Tommy kicks him in the shins, knocking him off balance as he fires. Tommy lets out a pained scream, clutching at his upper arm and falling to the ground. Sparklez walks closer, seemingly forgetting about Tubbo.</p><p>Tubbo is entirely defenceless, nothing against an actual weapon. He uselessly backs away, and when Tommy shifts slightly to make eye contact, turns and runs away.</p><p>Useless useless useless -</p><p>His footsteps on the metal are painfully loud, echoing down the hallway and into the nearby rooms. He runs past Security, desperate to find anyone to help.</p><p>Tommy's dead by now.</p><p>He lets out a broken breath, panicked and sorrowful and regretful, leaning heavily against the wall. He needs to get himself under control. Everything has suddenly gone to shit, and isn't it a little bit his fault?</p><p>"Tubbo?" he's startled out of his self-pity by a hand landing on his shoulder. He looks up to see Scott looking down at him, "what's wrong?"</p><p>"Everything." Tubbo sobs, pulling away from Scott and continuing walking to cafeteria, roughly scrubbing the tears from his face. He needs to find everyone else so they can stop Sparklez before he gets anyone else. Then he can sit and be miserable for a while.</p><p>Scott follows him worriedly. "Tubbo, whatever it is I'll help you with it. Is it something between you and Tommy?"</p><p>"Tommy's dead." Tubbo snaps. "Sparklez is a <i>murderer</i>!"</p><p>And then suddenly there's a knife at his throat.</p><p> </p><p>____</p><p> </p><p>He wakes up. This time, <i>this time,</i> it'll be different. He'll save everyone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>totally not related to how much of this story is left, but are you guys interested in more stuff set in this universe?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Progress</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tubbo repeats it like a mantra in his head: <i>I can save everyone, I can save everyone.</i></p><p>Although he still doesn't know anything about what these 'impostors' actually are or what's causing the loop, he knows enough to stop them. </p><p>The alarm ringing as always, Tubbo picks up his book and starts writing everything he knows. Rather than drawing everything out in a table like they had in past loops, he simply writes what's important:</p><p>	- Two impostors who don't have self-preservashion (but they try to stay alive so they can kill!)<br/>
- Looper can survive but loop will end anyway. Loop is energy that zaps between people<br/>
- Impostor is a parasitic energy? -- find with medbay scanners<br/>
- Impostor is in cargo bay, will leave when no one goes down. Thru vents.<br/>
- Call Niki!!!! Tell her to turn right at timekeeping section then call techno and tell him to grab onto the blue guy on the roof. After that they seem fine.</p><p>Everything else doesn't really matter so much; he has a solution to the impostors figured out. Tucking the book under his arm, he walks out into the hallway, just in time for the awkward pause after Fundy's outburst - telling everyone he's in a time loop. "He's not lying, or crazy," Tubbo reassures the group. "I've been living in a time loop too. I think I have everything figured out though, so if everyone could stay on this deck, that would be good."</p><p>Wilbur turns and studies him. "…That sounds very impossible, but if it's the two of you I guess," he pauses, squinting, "you're probably not crazy? Do what you want, don't destroy the ship." Wilbur says rather flippantly, wandering off to the lounge. The group hesitantly disperses, some following him while the rest disappear into their rooms.</p><p>Tommy lingers awkwardly. Back to the way everything was before, then.</p><p>Fundy, having tuned out of the conversation, doesn't react, leant back on the wall and staring at the floor. Tubbo waves his hand in front of his face. "Fundy!" his friend looks up, startled. "I have the loop! I know how to stop the impostors!" </p><p>Tubbo shoves the book into Fundy's hands. "So, we figured out that if the cargo bay is cut off and guarded," he points at Fundy, "by you, the… thing… travels through vents. But not immediately, it takes a while. I think."</p><p>Fundy opens the book and looks at the notes Tubbo wrote. "It worked then. Transferring the loop to you."</p><p>Tubbo rolls his eyes, "yes, we've been over this. I have a plan - we just need to quickly close all the vents. It won't be able to get to anyone and we can find a way out."</p><p>"It… it could work." Fundy says, processing. "But there's a lot of vents."</p><p>"Some of them are automated, aren’t they?" Tommy asks tentatively, "we could shut off most of them from the oxygen room, right?"</p><p>"Yeah!" Tubbo says, a smile growing on his face. "Let's go, then."</p><p> </p><p>"Do you trust him?" Tommy asks Fundy quietly. Tubbo, walking ahead of them, pretends to not hear.</p><p>"I don't have any reason not to. It's not like he's done anything that no one else has in these loops." Fundy murmurs.</p><p>Tommy doesn't say anything to that.</p><p> </p><p>The first step is to close off the ladder. Fundy hefts the hatch up and lets it slam down over the hole loudly, ringing down the hallway. Tommy flinches at the noise, but Tubbo's already pulling him to Admin to locate all of the vents. </p><p>There's one or two vents in every room. There's one vent in the cargo bay, but ill-maintenance has allowed it to jam open and nobody wants to go down there and try close it.</p><p>"How about… Fundy, you do the top deck, and me and Tommy will do go to Oxygen. Then we'll do the manual ones on this floor."</p><p>"Okay, meet in the cafeteria when we're done, then?" and Fundy leaves the room. </p><p>Tubbo slides a vent shut, and turns to Tommy. "Come on, let's go then."</p><p>Tommy, rubbing at his head, looks up and heaves a sigh, following Tubbo to Oxygen.</p><p> </p><p>"It's probably not very safe, closing all the vents like this. It'll get stuffy. But I think it's the best solution we have right now." Tubbo muses, hitting the buttons on the system console. "We'll have to close the intake of the machines, too. It'll mess up the ship after a week or so. Wilbur's gonna be so mad when he finds out."</p><p>Tommy doesn’t respond. He blinks, seeming a bit out of it.</p><p>Tubbo turns around, concerned. "Tommy? Is everything alright?" </p><p>"…Aside from the dying and murderers? I don't know. I… do you ever feel like you've done this before?"</p><p>Unimpressed, Tubbo replies, "I'm in a timeloop, Tommy. So, yes, we have literally done this before." He's not sure what Tommy's doing here, but he has more important, life-or-death things to sort out. "The vents that we'll have to close manually are in portside engine, reactor, medbay and cafeteria. Do you want to split up, or stay together?"</p><p>"There aren't that many to worry about, so I think it makes sense to go around together."</p><p>"Alright!" Tubbo says, "we'll start from reactor and end in cafeteria. That's simple enough."</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo looks up at the bright, pulsating lights of the reactor. He's reminded of Minx's idea, of the loop being caused by a lack of energy that effectively rubber-bands the looper back to the start. </p><p>Tommy, standing on a crate that they'd picked up from the storage room, reaches to a vent in the ceiling to close it. He climbs down, picking up the crate and looking over to him. "Tubbo?" he calls cautiously, "I'm done."</p><p>Tubbo pulls himself from his thoughts, following Tommy out of the room with one final look at the brilliant blue of the machine.</p><p>The open vent in the engine room is on the floor, across the room. "How about you do the one in medbay? To save time." Tubbo suggests, painfully aware of time running out.</p><p> </p><p>Leaving Tubbo in the engine room, Tommy walks through the doors into medbay. He has the most annoying feeling of déjà vu.</p><p>The side effects of living a day a couple of times over, he thinks in annoyance.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>the lengths of these chapters are so inconsistent</p><p> </p><p>Now that we're in the final legs of this fic, writing is has become so much harder because I have to figure out how to write out the big things instead of just putting them off as something to happen later.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Idle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy stands on one of the medbay beds, his shoes messing up the sheets as he reaches up to close another vent. The last vent.</p><p>If Tubbo is to be trusted and people let Fundy into their rooms, this is the last vent. The thing that Tubbo says is causing all of this is sealed inside the system, unable to escape and mess with people. Everything should be fine.</p><p>Yet. </p><p>He has the strangest feeling. In his head, or his soul or some shit. Like this has happened in a dream, and in that dream, it didn't work. As if there's memories that are just out of his reach.</p><p>It makes him nervous.</p><p>This feeling isn't something that makes sense, since if this had happened before, he'd either remember it, or would have no idea. The loop shouldn't work in <i>halves</i>.</p><p>Tommy rubs at his head, the lingering ache not helping at all. </p><p>Is this paranoia? He's <i>too big of a man</i> to be affected like this…</p><p> </p><p>He definitely should keep an eye on Tubbo. Tubbo, his best friend who shoved him out of an airlock yesterday. </p><p> </p><p>Tubbo appears at the medbay door, adjusting his hair as he watches Tommy just stand there. "Tommy? Is everything alright?" Tommy flinches slightly at the sound of his voice. Not dangerous, Tubbo. His friend, everything is fine.</p><p>Tommy pulls himself out of his thoughts to shrug awkwardly in response. Tubbo sighs, walk to the cafeteria, and Tommy follows. "What now?"</p><p>Tubbo drums his hands on the table in contemplation. "Now that we've dealt with the impostors? All that's left to do is get out of the loop itself, since the loop seems to be on some kind of time limit."</p><p>Tommy groans. "I just don't <i>get it,</i> is there even a way out?"</p><p>"There has to be. It's like time is a river, and the water has gotten stuck in a pool or something and is swirling around. I think it has to flow out again eventually."</p><p>Will anyone still be sane by the time that happens? This is only Tommy's third day in the loop and he just feels so <i>weird</i>.</p><p>Fundy climbs down the ladder, looking a bit relieved to see the two of them both here and alive. "I got all the vents shut up there, so I think everything should be good."</p><p>"How long do you reckon we've got until the loop restarts?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>"Uh, probably a max of four hours." Fundy says, tugging at the fake fox ears absently.</p><p>Tubbo nods. "So not that great. We've got to get this all sorted out quickly."</p><p>Fundy grins uneasily. "The sooner the better, right?"</p><p>____</p><p> </p><p>Tommy stands against the wall, watching as the other two try and decipher the diagnostic they took of the reactor. </p><p>"Look, here, there's a fluctuation in the neutron-matter." Tubbo says, poking at the screen. "That could mean something, right?"</p><p>"I'm pretty sure that's normal. Neutron-matter is weird, though. I mean, it <i>could</i> be what's hauling everything back through time, but I think we would have heard of it before."</p><p>"What about this spike?"</p><p>"I think that's the auto-igniter."</p><p>"What does it do?"</p><p>"It keeps the matter burning. Without it the reactor would just turn off."</p><p>Tubbo groans. "<i>This doesn’t make sense.</i> Why does lightspeed travel have to be so <i>complicated</i>" Fundy pats him reassuring on the back. "If the answer is in here, we'll never find it."</p><p>Tommy is tired of standing around doing nothing. "How about we talk to the others about this?"</p><p>"We've already done that." Tubbo complains.</p><p>"We might as well try." Fundy suggests.</p><p>Tubbo glances back at the mostly incomprehensible data. "<i>Fine.</i> But I think it'll be a waste of time."</p><p> </p><p>____</p><p>"Any ideas?" Fundy asks the room. </p><p>Sparklez stares intently at the floor. "I've never heard about something like this actually happening."</p><p>Everyone else sits in perplexed silence.</p><p>Sylvee stands. "So the ship should be safe? I'm going to get a drink."</p><p>Tubbo and Phil follow her out of the room, Tommy moving to join them. </p><p>"Tommy." Tubbo says, sounding irritated, "you don't need to follow me around. I don't need protecting and no one needs protecting <i>from me, either</i>"</p><p>Not really sure what he'd done wrong, Tommy backs away, hands held in front of him in surrender. "Uh, sorry?"</p><p>Tubbo winces, "that came out a bit harsh. It's just… every loop you don't trust me. I'm tired of it."</p><p>Oh.</p><p>With a confused shrug from Phil, the three wander off, leaving Tommy and Fundy in the lounge with Sparklez, Scott, CPK and Minx.</p><p>Minx takes a long sip from her water bottle. "So," she starts, but falls silent, seeming to drop whatever thought she just had.</p><p>It irritates Tommy. They're at a complete standstill, all they can do is <i>wait</i> until an answer delivers itself to them. If there's one thing he hates, it's feeling useless.</p><p>He wanders out of the room, ignoring whatever Fundy was saying.</p><p> </p><p>Walking back to his and Tubbo's room, he pushes his jumbled emotions aside. He just needs a minute or two. He sits on his bed, careful to not hit his head on the top bunk. </p><p>He's not really one for big, complex problems. And the loop is definitely a <i>big, complex problem</i>. He stares off into nowhere, trying to comprehend how the loop could work. What would trigger time to reset?</p><p>Sitting up, he reaches over to the desk to pick up the discarded notebook. Tubbo hadn't written much - because they hardly know anything about the loop. It always ends, no matter what, and it always sends you back to the same time. Maybe Tommy could start teaching himself theoretical physics. </p><p>He'll have a lot of spare time.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>____</p><p> </p><p>There's quick knocking on the door. "Tommy!" Scott shouts. "Tommy, there's been a -"</p><p>Tommy shoves the door open, "what's wrong?"</p><p>Scott looks a mess. "It's Fundy! He's dead!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It's been a while since I posted. Sorry about that...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0041"><h2>41. Fallen out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I thought you told us you had the whole 'murderers' thing sorted out." Wilbur almost <i>growls.</i> "I don't know what's going on here."</p>
<p>Tubbo holds his hands up defensively. "I didn't know this would happen! I thought we had this sorted out!"</p>
<p>"Does it matter?" Phil interrupts. "Either way, Fundy is dead."</p>
<p>"I just don't know how it happened." Tubbo mumbles to himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tommy looks around the room. Everyone gathered at the cafeteria, discussing a murder. This is like the other times, isn't it? </p>
<p>Things <i>haven't</i> changed. He was stupid to trust the others to know what they're doing.</p>
<p>Why did he put his faith in Fundy? Why did he believe him when he reassured him that, against all evidence, Tubbo <i>wasn't</i> a murderer and everything was going to be fine… Maybe if he kept trying, he could have convinced Fundy to be wary of Tubbo. Then he might still be alive.</p>
<p>The whole story of there being unknown beings in the vents possessing people randomly was probably a lie. An elaborate lie that Tubbo came up with to trick Tommy and Fundy, who should have known better. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Where was he?" Minx asks.</p>
<p>"I found him in Admin." Phil says, "I went to the cockpit to check on everything, and then I went around the ship looking."</p>
<p>"Looking for what? You didn't know he was dead, did you?" Scott asks hesitantly. </p>
<p>Scott, the other murderer. Is he trying to frame Phil?</p>
<p>Phil rubs at the back of his neck uncomfortably. "No! I just… I just had a weird feeling, you know? I just wanted to make sure everyone was alright."</p>
<p>Tommy should just tell everyone that he knows. It would be so simple. But his hands are stuck, clenched around the edge of the bench he sits on, and he cannot open his mouth.</p>
<p>"Where was everyone?" Wilbur asks, monotonous.</p>
<p>"Scott, Callum and Minx were with me in the lounge room." Sparklez says. "We were there the whole time, so it's not any of us."</p>
<p>"Why would anyone want to kill this guy?" CPK asks.</p>
<p>That's a question that has been haunting Tommy. <i>Why</i> would Tubbo, his best friend, want to kill him? Tubbo's so innocent, nothing that Tommy knows about him points to him snapping and trying to hurt anyone in such a sadistic, calculated way. </p>
<p>"The only ones that I would have suspected are the passengers, since they aren't attached to anyone on this ship. But if you were together, then it couldn't have been you…" Wilbur's gaze lands on Sylvee, uncomfortably standing slightly further away than everyone else. "You. Do you have an alibi?"</p>
<p>Sylvee's eyes dart nervously around the room. "It wasn't me. I have no reason to kill the guy! I was with Phil or Tubbo for almost the entire time! I never left the cafeteria."</p>
<p>Tubbo doesn’t dispute her alibi, but Phil sighs. "I was there for only a few minutes. That leaves plenty of time for her to wander off."</p>
<p>"Tubbo stayed with me. The time that he went to Medbay to check something wasn't enough for me to run off to Admin, wherever that is, and kill Fundy."</p>
<p>"I was in my room the whole time." Wilbur states. "Which was a mistake, it seems. Does anyone have any other information?"</p>
<p>After a moment of silence, Sylvee points down the corridor to Medbay. "Fundy went that way." </p>
<p>"Tubbo, did you follow him?" Phil says.</p>
<p>Sylvee looks at Phil, confused. "No, Tubbo went that way. To Medbay." She says, gesturing to the central hallway. </p>
<p>To Admin. </p>
<p>Tubbo darts forwards to stand next to Sylvee, waving his hands worriedly. "I didn't go to Admin! She's just gotten things mixed up."</p>
<p>"I'm pretty sure you went that way." Sylvee repeats. "I've got a pretty good memory for these things."</p>
<p>"She's trying to frame me." Tubbo says. "I went to Medbay, and she <i>must</i> have found him in Admin and killed him before I came back."</p>
<p>"<i>What?</i>" Sylvee says, shocked. "How would I have done that?"</p>
<p>"Everyone shut up!" Wilbur yells, and the cafeteria falls into silence. "What we have is Tubbo's word against the Sylvee. One of you is lying."</p>
<p>"It's not me." Tubbo says, crossing his arms. "I have no reason to lie."</p>
<p>"Let's have a vote." Minx declares, "I'm not going to stand here and wait while you all argue. Who believes Sylvee?"</p>
<p>Callum holds up his hand tentatively. There's silence.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Minx nods, "Okay, with that settled -" </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tommy slowly raises his hand. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo looks over at him in confusion. "Tommy?" he says quietly, sounding betrayed.</p>
<p>Minx shoots him an askance look. "You believe her? Over <i>Tubbo?</i>"</p>
<p>There's too many eyes on him. He doesn't like having everyone's attention like this. He nods.</p>
<p>"Why?" </p>
<p>It's eating at him.</p>
<p>Tommy stands abruptly, slamming his hands on the table loudly. "<i>Because I know he's lying.</i> I've known the whole time - he's been lying the <i>whole time</i>. And I didn't say anything and now Fundy's dead -- everything he said earlier was a lie to waste our time, and I <i>knew that!</i>" His voice cracks at his final words, and his vision is blurred with tears. Stupid.</p>
<p>Not a Big Man move at all, but he deserves this moment to be childish, he thinks.</p>
<p>Scott lands a hand on his shoulder silently, with concern written over his face. Tommy slaps his hand away. "And you -- <i>don't touch me.</i>"</p>
<p>"Tommy…" Wilbur says.</p>
<p>"I've been living this day over and over, and each time <i>Tubbo</i> has lost it and killed me. I don't know why I let him convince me that <i>this time</i> would be different." Tommy rubs the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. His shoulders shake as he breathes heavily, trying to recompose himself. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I'm fine." he eventually manages with a shuddering breath.</p>
<p>"Tommy doesn't know what's going on!" Tubbo shouts, "I'm in a loop, too, and it isn't me - it's a different person every time!"</p>
<p>"…then why didn't you say that earlier?" Phil says flatly. </p>
<p>"I think you <i>are</i> trying to hide something." Wilbur says coldly. "If it's a different person each time, then there's no motive and you've just let us waste our time."</p>
<p>Tubbo pales and backs away. "That - that's not what I meant! I wasn't trying to hide something, I swear! I just--"</p>
<p>"You were just letting them accuse me." Sylvee growls. "Why <i>didn't</i> you say that anyone could be a suspect? Did you conveniently forget? Or, maybe, you're making your whole story up."</p>
<p>"No alibi, bullshitting his information. Sounds like you've got the guy to me." Sparklez declares.</p>
<p>"<i>Seriously?!</i>" Tubbo yells, wrenching his arm away from Phil, who had tried to grab him. "Are we not going to think about this? Tommy's <i>clearly</i> unstable - I think he's working with Sylvee to frame me -- there's always two of them!"</p>
<p>"So are we in agreement, then?" Wilbur asks the group. When no one protests, he states, "We'll lock him in the brig and just keep an eye on Sylvee and Tommy."</p>
<p>Tubbo loses his fight, turning around to face Tommy. "How <i>dare</i> you. This was all your fault!"</p>
<p>Tommy tries not to flinch. "I'm not just gonna let you hurt anyone else."</p>
<p>Tubbo aggressively elbows Phil in the chest and decks Tommy in the face. Tommy stumbles at the impact, cradling his stinging face. "<i>Fuck you!</i>" he screams as he's dragged away.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Well." Sylvee says, "I don't think there's any doubt we got the right person. I can't believe I was alone in a room with that guy."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Writing has suddenly gotten so difficult. Usually I sit down, start writing, do a bit of research, edit and post the chapter in one sitting, in less than two hours. This chapter took like four different sessions. I'm not sure if it's the POV, the fact that this is the final act and I have to figure out how to resolve everything, or just because I'm daydreaming about other fics instead of this one. Oh well. I'll <i>try</i> to get back on schedule.</p>
<p>Comment to help me update because when you're excited, I'm excited and more likely to actually sit down and write the damn thing.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0042"><h2>42. Recollection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy sits back down on the cafeteria bench, across from Phil, the appointed suspicious-person-supervisor. Phil twiddles his thumbs.</p><p>Sylvee opens her phone, clicking through her apps to open a webpage. "That's annoying. There's no connection."</p><p>Tommy sighs. There's nothing in the cafeteria to do, other than staring at the other people or out the window to the looming darkness…</p><p>…</p><p>"I'm getting something from my room." he decides, standing.</p><p>Phil looks between his two charges. "I can't leave either of you unsupervised. Is it important, Tommy?"</p><p>"It's a book, where Fundy and Tubbo wrote some notes. There might be something that explains why Tubbo has been doing… all this. I might as well try and do something useful instead of just sitting here."</p><p>"You'll be fine on your own, right?" Phil asks Sylvee unsurely.</p><p>She shrugs uncomfortably. "I promise I won't run off and attack anyone."</p><p>Tommy feels an itch on the back of his hand. "I don't think it's a good idea to leave her alone. Something could happen, not that I don't trust her…" It just doesn't sit right with him. For some reason that he can't explain.</p><p>"Fine. I'll just follow the two of you. Awkwardly."</p><p> </p><p>Tommy picks up the book. It's a sad symbol of his faith in his friends. He flips to the page where the others had written.</p><p>He quickly rereads Tubbo's entries, and focuses on what Fundy had written.<br/>
<i><br/>
- Loop timeout: first time was about half hour after sunrise, second felt a few minutes earlier? Not sure if it's random.<br/>
- Impostors might be in the walls - tunnels are confusing and scary.<br/>
- No ideas to escape.</i></p><p>"Hmm." Tommy muses. "We've got, like, three hours before everything is reset."</p><p>Phil takes the book from him, looking through it. "Wow. This is all really messed up."</p><p>Tommy blinks. "What's new?"</p><p>Sylvee, standing outside the room, not wanting to step into the small space, crosses her arms. "What does it say?"</p><p>"Just stuff Tubbo and Fundy wrote about the whole… murder situation earlier." Phil says. "Tubbo wrote that Medbay has tech to tell if someone's an 'impostor'? Should we try that with Tubbo?"</p><p>"That would be the shitty energy scanner thing, right? Scott's clunky handheld thing? I'm pretty sure that only works a few times before setting on fire."</p><p>Phil makes a face. "How do you even know that?"</p><p>Tommy pauses. "I… I don't know."</p><p>"That's weird." Sylvee states, now sitting on the floor.</p><p>How <i>does</i> he know that? There's no reason to know, he typically avoids Medbay, definitely doesn't talk to Scott about the tech…</p><p>It doesn't make sense.</p><p>"How did <i>you</i> know to look for Fundy?" Tommy rebuts. Phil snaps the book shut.</p><p>"I don't know either. I just <i>knew</i> something was up."</p><p>"So, like, are you two prophets or something? All knowing?" Sylvee says flippantly.</p><p>"It wouldn't really be 'prophecy'," Tommy muses, "since we're in a timeloop, it's the future <i>and</i> the past. But I don’t remember knowing all of this or anything. I don't get it."</p><p>"There's a lot that doesn't make sense." Phil admits. "What's all of this about Niki and Techno?"</p><p>"I don’t know." Tommy says. "I don't think we should mess with it right now, in case we just confuse everyone and that makes whatever their situation is worse."</p><p>"I'm calling Niki." Phil announces, ignoring Tommy. </p><p>Niki picks up. "<i>Hello!</i>"</p><p>"Niki, this book says you should turn right at the timekeeping section."</p><p>"<i>Uh.</i>"</p><p>"It'll probably make sense later?" Tommy says.</p><p>"<i>Well, I'll keep it in mind, then.</i>" </p><p>"Well, uh. Stay safe." Phil says, and hangs up, "…I don't think that was very useful."</p><p> </p><p>"We'll call them back later?" Sylvee asks awkwardly. "Are we even sure that it's good advice, since Tubbo was the one who wrote it?"</p><p>"Fundy trusted him." </p><p>"And it got him killed." Tommy reminds them. "I haven't seen anything that shows that Tubbo isn't a murderous asshole other than the word of a dead man."</p><p>"We might as well keep this book and reference it. It's better than nothing." </p><p> </p><p>When they return to the cafeteria, Tubbo's notebook tucked under Phil's arm, they are met by Minx. Standing uneasily in the middle of the room, she looks relieved to see them. "I wondered where you all went. I… I was worried something might have happened to you."</p><p>Tommy makes a show of rolling his eyes, "I know Phil and Sylvee are short but that doesn’t mean that the <i>three</i> of us can just quietly get beat up."</p><p>"I'm not short, you're just tall." Sylvee mumbles, annoyed.</p><p>Minx doesn't really react, sighing before turning to leave. "If all's fine with you, I'm not sticking around." </p><p> </p><p>"Do you think we should talk to Tubbo?" Tommy suggests after a too-long period of silence.</p><p>"It's probably worth trying to get some information out of him." Phil says.</p><p> </p><p>"Are you two really going to drag me around the entire ship?" Sylvee groans. "It's way too early for this."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm getting tired of slow, in-between setup scenes but I have to be consistent with the pacing I've established 😔</p><p>For the people commenting to remember my health: don't worry! writing doesn't take a toll on me, but <i>not</i> writing does :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0043"><h2>43. All Who Wander</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy is the first to climb down the ladder to the cargo hold. The room is relatively dark, the only light pouring out of the windows to the currently occupied bring.</p>
<p>The others climb down to join him, so, knowing they have his back, he approaches the brig. Tubbo isn't standing at the glass, probably sitting further back, bored out of his mind. The beds come into view, completely empty, sheets undisturbed. There's no one in the room.</p>
<p>"Uh," is all he can say. He glances over to the others and back to the empty brig. There isn't anywhere to hide in there, just the bathroom in the back, with its door fully open revealing it to also be Tubbo-free.</p>
<p>"What's wrong - wait." Phil says as he walks over, "…Where's Tubbo?"</p>
<p>"I don't know." Tommy says. His eyes drift from the empty room to the airlock door…</p>
<p>"Did he get out??" Sylvee asks, backing away from them, "<i>Is there a murderer with a specific bias against me running around?</i>"</p>
<p>Phil unlocks the door, walking into the brig and looking around. "That means that someone would have let him out."</p>
<p>Oh fuck. Looks like not mentioning Scott has come to bite him. "I… know who that is." Tommy says haltingly.</p>
<p>"Really? Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Sylvee asks.</p>
<p>Phil closes the brig door behind him. "Looks like we've got another mess to deal with, then." He sounds not mad, entirely, but definitely frustrated.</p>
<p>"It- it's Scott." Tommy says. </p>
<p>"Scott?" Phil says surprised. "Why Scott?"</p>
<p>"I saw him trying to stab CPK." Tommy says, crossing his arms. "I mean, that's not really grounds to be unsure about."</p>
<p>"I'll text the others that Tubbo's escaped." Phil says. "This is definitely not good."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sylvee strolls to the cargo, looking over the crates. "What's in here, anyway?"</p>
<p>Phil shrugs. "I don't know. Wilbur hasn't told me. It's apparently a risky job, but we got paid plenty."</p>
<p>"Why wouldn't he tell you? You're the pilot, aren't you?"</p>
<p>"I trust him. If I don't need to know, then I won't <i>challenge</i> his judgement."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sylvee makes a doubting face, and Tommy has to relate. Despite the fact that he's been by Wilbur's side for practically his whole life, he can't blindly trust anyone anymore. When there's people literally running around murdering everyone, it's probably wisest to be sceptical.</p>
<p>It doesn't make him paranoid. It makes him street smart.</p>
<p>"We need to find the others." Tommy decides, "there's safety in numbers."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Waiting for them in cafeteria are CPK, Sparklez and Wilbur. Wilbur looks over to them for a moment before resuming his conversation with the passengers.</p>
<p>"So you expect me to believe that your security is so shoddy that a sixteen-year-old can just break out?" Sparklez says incredulously.</p>
<p>"That's not what I'm saying." Wilbur says in tired exasperation, "he must've been broken out. I promise that our brig is secure, but we all know the security codes."</p>
<p>"And you didn't think to change them in this high stakes situation? When one member of your crew has turned against you why wouldn't more?"</p>
<p>"I just didn't think of it." Wilbur sighs, "If you're such an <i>expert</i>, then why didn't you suggest it?"</p>
<p>"We're not going to solve anything by <i>arguing</i> over details!" Sylvee interrupts, "we're kind of on a <i>time limit</i> here. Find these guys before they stab me!"</p>
<p>"…Right." Sparklez says turning to the trio. "Were you together the whole time?" </p>
<p>They nod. </p>
<p>"And if it's not all of them," Sparklez continues, "then there's very few people that would have been responsible."</p>
<p>"Tommy said he thinks it's Scott." Phil announces.</p>
<p>All eyes in the room turn to him. "In a past loop," he says unsurely, "he was working with Tubbo. He attacked people." He avoids eye contact, looking down at his hands.</p>
<p>"A better lead than anything we've got right now." Wilbur accepts. "Do you know <i>why</i> this is happening, Tommy?"</p>
<p>Tommy cringes slightly. "No. All I have is what… Tubbo and Fundy told me."</p>
<p>"Ah."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"<i>Anyway</i>." Phil says, "Guilty or not. We need to find Scott."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Scott isn't replying to any texts or calls… Neither is Minx. </p>
<p>Or Tubbo, of course.</p>
<p>Tommy stands outside Admin, messing with his phone and trying not to… think.</p>
<p>It's obvious that if he hadn't been so trusting, all of this would have been over and done with, but that's old news. He's had plenty of time to agonise over it, now all he can do is try and get something good done.</p>
<p>Bored and restless, he shoves the phone back into his pocket, glancing into Admin to see the others standing around the table as it scans for something. It'll be a while before they get anything done. It's a bit of a waste of time to just stand here, so without a word he wanders away.</p>
<p>He picked up Minx's drink bottle from the cafeteria as he had left, so he's not entirely defenceless. The metal bottle is solid enough to knock someone out with a confident swing.</p>
<p>He reads a digital clock on console to storage; it's 4:05 am. They've got two hours 'til sunrise, and another half hour before any progress is reset.</p>
<p>Tommy does a quick survey of the storage room before stepping inside. There's no one here, and there's no evidence of a panel in the wall being dislodged. "Minx?" He calls quietly. There's no answer.</p>
<p>As he leaves the room to check Electrical, he accidentally clatters the bottle against the doorframe lightly, the metal-on-metal noise painfully loud, feeling like it's echoing down the dark corridors and throughout the whole, entirely too-silent ship.</p>
<p>Tommy suddenly feels very alone. </p>
<p>He clutches the bottle to his chest. He listens. There's nothing to hear.</p>
<p>There's eyes watching him. </p>
<p><i>There's somebody behind him</i>.</p>
<p>He jerkily looks over his shoulder. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>There's no one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His breathing is erratic, so he clasps a hand over his mouth to try and reset to a healthier rhythm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The door to the Admin corridor slams shut. He jumps away, startled, looking over at the door. </p>
<p>His heart hammers in his chest. </p>
<p>The bottle, having been dropped at some point, rolls on the floor.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oh no.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He's alone. </p>
<p>The doors don't just <i>automatically shut</i>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's fine.</p>
<p>It's fine. He'll just go the long way back to the others. There's nothing to worry about. He's just overthinking this.</p>
<p>He'll have the advantage of height, regardless of who's going to jump him. He also has a killer hydroflask.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tommy resolutely ignores this occurrence, because <i>any more thought on the subject will give him a heart attack.</i><br/>His whole body is trembling. He picks up the bottle.</p>
<p>He walks away on shaky legs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tommy feels someone following him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He reaches to grip the handle to yank the door to electrical open. His hand freezes around it, and he cannot make himself pull it open. He doesn't know what's on the other side.</p>
<p>Schrodinger's murderer. Someone is both in there and behind him. He won't find out until he opens the door or turns around.</p>
<p>He feels extremely exposed in the hallway. </p>
<p>Does he hear footsteps, or is he imagining them?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, he turns his head to look behind him. There's no one.</p>
<p>He pulls the door open. There's no one. Electrical is covered in darkness, and smells dusty as hell. Minx wouldn't be in here.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Tommy." Minx says next to him and he jumps out of his skin, whirling around and narrowly missing bludgeoning the woman with the bottle. "<i>Whoa!</i>" She shouts, backing away. </p>
<p>Tommy, balanced backwards on one leg, attempts to regain his balance by hopping backwards into the dusty room.</p>
<p>"You could have knocked me out!" Minx comments, eyeing her bottle. "You're… on edge."</p>
<p>He shudders. "There's reason to be. Tubbo got out."</p>
<p>Minx's eyes widen. "<i>What?</i> How?"</p>
<p>"He… he was probably let out."</p>
<p>Minx takes another step away from him. "<i>He was let out?</i> Do you know who did it?"</p>
<p>"Scott." He says.</p>
<p>Her shoulders slump slightly. "Scott… Well, at least it's good that we know who… <i>Scott?</i>" She sounds disbelieving, and Tommy can relate. The two nicest people on the ship, out for blood.</p>
<p>"We… we should go join the others." he says.</p>
<p>"That's probably a good idea."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Can I have my drink bottle back? …You'd better not have put a dent in it."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Great news, I have eczema on my eyelids and it hurts when I cry.</p>
<p>I think I'm going to write longer chapters because I'm deathly afraid of this being more than a certain amount, so do you promise you'll comment how you were feeling if whatever was going on was resolved in that same chapter? <br/>I can't really keep splicing plot points to torment you as much when chapters are longer.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0044"><h2>44. Changed Pace</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Minx holds out her hand expectantly. </p>
<p>Tommy shifts his grip on the bottle and is halfway through handing it to her when he pauses. <br/>"I think I'll just hang onto it, actually." he says carefully, drawing it back to his chest.</p>
<p>"Tommy. I want a drink," she replies flatly, hand still held open in front of her, "give me my bottle."</p>
<p>"It's - it's empty." Minx doesn't look impressed, so he shakes it in his hand to show there isn't any sloshing water inside. Her waiting expression is making him a bit uncomfortable. He strides past her down the hallway to the engine room, hearing her footsteps as she follows.</p>
<p>"Tommy," she repeats, "<i>give me my bottle.</i>"</p>
<p>"I'm a Big Man. I can hold onto it."</p>
<p>Minx grumbles something under her breath, but Tommy's well used to tuning out the annoyance of his crewmates.</p>
<p>"Do you know where Scott is?" he asks, not turning around to look at her as he speaks. He steps through the door to the engine room. </p>
<p>"I… I haven't seen him." Minx replies.</p>
<p>"Well, he has to be around here somewhere. I'm not sure if he's with Tubbo or if they split up."</p>
<p>Tommy goes over the timeline in his head. After Tubbo had been apprehended, the trio in the cafeteria had effectively been guarding the brig from all the way down the hallway, as they could hear most things in the storage room and probably would have noticed someone climbing down into the cargo bay. The cautionary beep when the brig door opens tends to ring through a good part of the ship. Realistically, Tubbo could only have been broken out when they had left. That gives twenty minutes if he's being generous.</p>
<p>That twenty minutes is plenty of time for Scott to climb down, enter his code and leave with Tubbo. </p>
<p>There isn't any way to logic where they would go after that, but they wouldn't be on the top deck because there's always been someone near the ladder. Sylvee in the hall outside his room, while Minx was in the cafeteria, and then the others gathering there.</p>
<p>Wait. </p>
<p>Minx was in the cafeteria. </p>
<p>Just standing in the middle of the room.</p>
<p>Why was she there?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>…Wouldn't she have heard Scott and Tubbo?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He turns on his heel, continuing his walk past the security office backwards as ponders. "Minx?" <br/>She hums in acknowledgement.<br/>"What were you doing in the cafeteria?"</p>
<p>"I was going to refill my bottle. But I forgot about it and left it on the table."</p>
<p>"…Why didn't you hear Scott breaking Tubbo out?" He tightens his hold on the bottle.</p>
<p>Minx is silent for a moment too long. "I don't know -- maybe he closed a door behind him."</p>
<p>Tommy tilts his head. "You know? I don't think I believe you."</p>
<p>She glares. "Why not? You already know who the crazies are."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oh fuck. </p>
<p>It's definitely Minx. </p>
<p>She'd be way ruder if she was actually innocent.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He picks up the pace, backing away faster. He glances over his shoulder to avoid tripping over the slight rise in the floor he knows is ahead -- when he's shoved.</p>
<p>He manages to catch his balance, waving his arms wildly, the bottle clanging loudly against the wall. He holds the tube of metal in front of him like the smallest, saddest shield in history.</p>
<p>Minx kicks, or more accurately <i>stomps</i> his knee.</p>
<p>His leg snaps backwards and he stumbles away in pain. The bottle falls from his hands and rolls towards her. "<i>Fuck!</i>" He shouts. That fucking <i>hurts</i>.</p>
<p>She quickly crouches to pick up the bottle. She swings it experimentally. "You won't find Scott." she says, amused. </p>
<p>Tommy turns and runs, awkward on his injured leg. He's not sure if he's stretched something or <i>dislocated his kneecap</i>, but he's more <i>hopping</i> than sprinting. "<i>Phil!</i>" he screams, "<i>Wilbur!</i>"</p>
<p>Pain erupts in the back of his head. The bottle loudly bashes against the wall, Minx's swing arcing too far, having just clipped him. <br/>He turns around and shoves her away, giving him time to hobble into the hallway and slam the door in her face. He staggers to the console, setting a timer for <i>hours</i> until it can be opened.</p>
<p>There's sharp hammering on the door as an enraged Minx slams her bottle against the door. "<i>Fuck you!</i>" She screams.</p>
<p>Out of breath, he leans against the wall. He pants erratically.</p>
<p>That was fucking close.</p>
<p>Ignoring the pain in his head, he reaches down and pokes his knee. He flinches when it erupts in pain, but it seems to be in place. It hurts like hell, but his knee probably isn't broken.</p>
<p>Leaning heavily against the wall, he staggers away from the door and back to the cafeteria. Hopefully the door in storage is still locked, trapping Minx in the back half of the ship.</p>
<p>His ears are ringing, but he listens as hard as he can for any approaching footsteps.</p>
<p>He can see people in the cafeteria, and it's like the light at the end of the tunnel. It takes painfully long to limp into the room. Sparklez and Wilbur, seemingly continuing the argument from earlier, turn to look at him when he appears at the doorway. Pushing himself more upright, he quickly glances around the room. There's no one else in the room; the others are probably still in Admin.</p>
<p>"…Tommy? Are you -- you're bleeding!" Wilbur gasps.</p>
<p>Is he? He touches the injury on his head, wincing at the pain. His hand touches something sticky. Looks like he is.</p>
<p>"I was - I was wrong… not Scott… 'os Minx…"</p>
<p>Wilbur is by his side, offering an arm for him to grab onto, carefully guiding him to sit at the closest bench. "It's okay, Tommy," he reassures, "you'll be okay. Minx did this to you?"</p>
<p>Tommy nods. "I think she killed Scott. She was being… being smug and shit."</p>
<p>Sparklez hands Wilbur a damp cloth. Wilbur sits down and dabs at the wound on Tommy's head. He hisses at the sting, but doesn't protest. After a few seconds, Wilbur seems satisfied and tosses it to the sink, but it plops on the floor two feet short.</p>
<p>A new cloth appears in Tommy's hands. "Hold this against your wound. It'll stop the bleeding." Sparklez says. Tommy complies and, ow, that aches. Sparklez walks out of the room, presumably to get the others from Admin.</p>
<p>Wilbur wraps an arm around his shoulders, inelegantly looping around Tommy's arm holding the cloth to the back of his head. "This has been rough for you, hasn't it? …first you get punched in the face, now this?"</p>
<p>This really has been one very rough day. "I've been in fights before."</p>
<p>"Yeah, you're a real tough-guy, aren't you?" Wilbur's grip tightens into a side hug. "Seriously, I'm proud of you. You're taking this like a champ. If I were in your position I'd be crying on the floor by now. …I don't really understand all this time travel stuff, but we'll work through it."</p>
<p>Tommy leans into Wilbur's embrace. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"…Yeah."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>____</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"…So Minx won't be able to do anything where she is, she can't sabotage the reactor either, since she can't activate both sensors at once. We can consider her dealt with." Wilbur tells the others, arm still wrapped around Tommy.</p>
<p>"We only have to worry about Tubbo, then." Sylvee agrees, "but I am quite worried about him."</p>
<p>"If we're lucky, he's stuck somewhere, too."</p>
<p>"That would be nice." Callum sighs.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Do you want stitches?" Phil asks, rooting through the first aid kit.</p>
<p>"I don't think it'll matter. Today isn't going to stick." <br/>Tommy makes an effort to ignore the figure covered by a sheet lying on one of the beds across the room.</p>
<p>"What about your leg?"</p>
<p>"It hurts a lot. But I don't think anything's broken."</p>
<p>Phil fiddles with a device, and holds it to Tommy's injured leg. It whirrs as it scans, and beeps. Phil reads the result. "Ouch. You've torn a ligament. That's gotta hurt."</p>
<p>"I know." Tommy says, crossing his arms. Phil rolls his eyes.</p>
<p>"I didn't mean like that. Of course you know it hurts."</p>
<p>Wilbur shakes his head and opens a cabinet, pulling out sticks of metal and plastic, slotting them together.</p>
<p>"I think I still prefer it to being shoved out an airlock."</p>
<p>"You <i>what</i>?" Wilbur exclaims, looking up from his task.</p>
<p>"It's pretty terrifying. I've always been scared dying in space. It didn't help with that."</p>
<p>Wilbur seems to decide that now is not the time to talk about it, clicking the final pieces together and presenting a pair of crutches. "Here," he says, "since you shouldn’t be bending or putting weight on your knee."</p>
<p>After Phil's done wrapping bandages around his leg to match the bandages wound around his head, he hops off the bed, taking the crutches.</p>
<p>It takes him a second to figure them out, but he manages to leave Medbay fairly smoothly. The rhythm of using crutches is fairly simple to work with once he's walked a few steps. He feels tempted to try and run with these. </p>
<p>He could pole vault or something.</p>
<p>A beanbag has appeared in the cafeteria, and he happily flops down on it. <br/>Sylvee gives him a thumbs up.</p>
<p>He hopes she didn't go and get it on her own, because that would have been a very, very stupid risk to take for a fucking beanbag. </p>
<p>"I'm going to go look for Tubbo." Sparklez announces, and the people in the room organise into groups, leaving Tommy alone with Wilbur again.</p>
<p>He leans back in the beanbag, looking up at the ceiling </p>
<p>Maybe this isn't so bad, actually. He's been betrayed by his best friend, died multiple times, all-round suffered, but he's got plenty of second tries, and he can finally relax for a bit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tommy strains to reach Tubbo's notebook that Phil had left on the table, the tips of his fingers just touching it. He refuses to stand up, and he <i>just</i> manages to pull it closer to himself when Wilbur slides it over to him. "I had it." He says stubbornly. He sits back again, looking through it.</p>
<p>Oh yeah. That whole thing with Niki, Eret and Techno. He should check on them.</p>
<p>He pulls his phone out of his pocket. Maybe Niki's figured out what the hell any of this means.</p>
<p>He calls her. </p>
<p>"<i>Hello?</i>" She answers, "<i>that thing you told me was actually </i>right!<i> How did you know</i>?"</p>
<p>"Time travel." he replies simply, "I guess I should call Techno then."</p>
<p>"<i>Oh - Okay.</i>"</p>
<p>He hangs up and scrolls to Techno's contact.</p>
<p>"Techno!" He exclaims, before realising that he doesn't know what to say. He frantically looks over the page, feeling the man's irritation through the phone. "Uh. Grab onto the blue guy when you're on the roof!"</p>
<p>"<i>What?</i>"</p>
<p>"It's probably right. I think? Trust me."</p>
<p>"<i>You're really makin' me confident in you here.</i>" Tommy can barely hear Techno over the sound of yelling somewhere near him.</p>
<p>"…Well. Uh. Good luck with all of that."</p>
<p>"<i>Bye.</i>" Techno says, and hangs up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tommy is left with not much to do.</p>
<p>Wilbur's sitting at the cafeteria table next to his beanbag, doing boring captain stuff.</p>
<p>Tommy doesn't look out the window.</p>
<p>He is suddenly supremely bored.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It seems trauma isn't really enough to keep him entertained.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"The door to Storage is still locked, right?" he says to break the silence.</p>
<p>"Yep."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This is painful. Perhaps even more painful than Minx kicking his leg in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After a few minutes sitting and fiddling his phone, he gives in and calls Techno again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"<i>What is it Tommy?</i>" Techno sounds very frustrated. </p>
<p>"Are you alright?"</p>
<p>"<i>I'm fine. </i>He<i> won't be if he won't shut up.</i>" A statement obviously directed to someone near to Techo, probably the guy Tommy can hear singing death threats.</p>
<p>"<i>Wow, you haven't changed, Blade.</i>" the weird guy says.</p>
<p>"<i>I think we should move somewhere a bit more out of the way.</i>" Another person says.</p>
<p>"<i>You're probably right</i>" A third unfamiliar voice says. The weird guy says something in protest, and the bustling noise of the street is cut off as they probably go inside a building.</p>
<p>"…What's going on, Techno?" Tommy asks.</p>
<p>"<i>Just got caught up in a bounty hunt for an idiot purse thief." </i></p>
<p>
  <i>"That hurts, Blade. I thought we were friends."</i>
</p>
<p><i>"I will tape your mouth shut. Don't test me.</i>"</p>
<p>The second voice speaks again. "<i>So. Since you helped catch this potato, we probably owe you some of the bounty." </i></p>
<p><i>"I don't need money.</i>" Techno says, and that's really the difference between him and Tommy.</p>
<p>"You can give it to me." Tommy offers. </p>
<p>Techno ignores him. "<i>I'll just go meet up with my crew.</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>Oooh. Blade's got himself a crew.</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>You're insufferable.</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>It's a skill.</i>" Insufferable replies happily.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Techno heaves a very tired sigh. "<i>So what did you want, Tommy? How did you even know to grab onto "Blue guy"?</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>Yeah! How'd he know that?</i>" Insufferable pipes up.</p>
<p>"Well, I'm kind of… in a time loop?"</p>
<p>"<i>You're in a time loop.</i>"</p>
<p>"And I don't know how to get out."</p>
<p>"<i>You're trapped in a time loop.</i>"</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"…<i>Okay.</i>"</p>
<p>"<i>Let me talk to him! I'm good at logic puzzles.</i>" Insufferable says cheerfully.</p>
<p>Techno makes a sound like he wants to die.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Maybe this Insufferable guy isn't so bad.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This probably would have been two chapters. Accept this blessing</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0045"><h2>45. The Matter of Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy leans back, listening as Techno and Insufferable Man bicker.</p><p>Tommy vaguely wishes that this was a video call so that he could spectate this mess as fully as possible.</p><p>"<i>Alright, then,"</i> one of the voices says, "George, Sap and I are going to call Skeppy and Ant to bring the ship 'round. Make sure he doesn't… wander off."</p><p>Techno grunts in response.<i></i></p><p>
  <i>"Soo… Techno," Insufferable begins, "tell me about this time loop thing."</i>
</p><p><i>"</i>I mean, it would be helpful for more people to help out here." Tommy encourages.</p><p>With a deep sigh, Techno says, "<i>Fine. I've put you on speaker phone, Tommy.</i>"</p><p>"<i>Now, tell us all about it!</i>"</p><p>Tommy sits up slightly, picking up the book and propping it on his knees. He glances around the room, seeing everything is as it should be. "Well. We're always woken at two am by a breach-"</p><p>"<i>Does something hit the ship, like alien tech?</i>" Insufferable butts in excitably.</p><p>"<i>Shut up. Let him talk. Aliens aren't even real.</i>" Techno grunts.</p><p>"Well, that's the thing! There's a meteroite--"</p><p>"Meteoriod." Wilbur corrects.</p><p>"-- a meteoriod jammed in the cargo bay wall, and it was carrying some sort of mind controller that makes people violent murderers. Or at least, according to one of those murderers and Fundy, who's…dead."</p><p>"<i>What!?</i>" Techno exclaims. Tommy can just imagine his outraged face. He's probably more mad that he missed this much cooler action than actually worried.</p><p>"Anyway. I'm not sure how accurate Tubbo's notes are, since he is currently on the run."</p><p>"<i>In the ship? There's not many places he'd be able to hide</i>."</p><p>"So there's that problem." Tommy summarises as casually as he can. "They seem to want everyone dead, but I don't know <i>why</i>, since time is reset anyway."</p><p>The lights suddenly shut off. Tommy flinches at the sudden darkness. "Looks like Minx has turned the lights off." Wilbur announces tiredly. "There's nothing we can really do about that."</p><p>"<i>…Let's go back to the whole thing with Tubbo.</i>" Techno says, "So he and Fundy were agreeing, right?" Tommy hums in agreement. "<i>And there's this possessing rock? I think there's logically a window where Tubbo would still have been himself after waking up.</i>"</p><p>"<i>Unless this space magic can just infuse the ship. It was in a rock</i>" </p><p>Insufferable's suggestion doesn't really make sense, knowing that Minx is a killer, not Scott, which would be most likely caused by the people on the ship acting differently due to the loopers' meddling. Maybe Tommy can trust Tubbo. Even though the knowledge is mostly useless in this timeline, it makes his spirits rise. He's not gonna be in this alone. He'll have his best friend by his side like always.</p><p>"<i>…Since they're magic space aliens,</i>" (<i>Don't say it like that</i> Techno grumbles) "<i>they probably know how to escape this time loop you're in. I think that time is only repeating because they haven't won yet</i>".  Insufferable seems to be taking this scenario in stride.</p><p>"<i>There's probably a secondary objective to killing you all.</i>" Techno agrees.</p><p>Interesting. The impostors would use everything that they can to their advantage, and that could include the loop itself. </p><p>"They don’t remember the loop, though. It's only been a few of us."</p><p>"<i>Well, just because </i>they<i> can't change the timeline, doesn't mean they can't benefit from </i>you<i> doing it for them.</i>" Techno says.</p><p>"<i>Yeah!</i>" Insufferable joins in, "<i>I think it makes sense. They lose, you change things, they are given a new scenario where they might win. If it keeps resetting, then it's inevitable that they win.</i>"</p><p>"<i>Which means you need to get out of the loop as soon as possible</i>" Techno stresses. "<i>Tell us the details of how it works.</i>"</p><p>"The loops seem to automatically end about an hour after six. It seems only one person can remember a loop at a time, and we're calling him the "looper". The loop is transferred through touch, like static electricity," Tommy lists.</p><p>"<i>What time is in on your ship right now?</i>" Insufferable asks.</p><p>"It's 5:00. We've got time to theorise."</p><p>"<i>Hmm. Alright,</i>" Techno thinks, "<i>So the looper ability is separate to the actual resets? They're not caused by the looper?</i>"</p><p>"We don't think so."</p><p>"<i>Well,</i>" Insufferable says, "<i>What's time connected to? Space. This could have something to do with where you are. You're in a moving ship.</i>"</p><p>Tommy hadn't thought about it. It could make sense with Fundy's scrawled theories. "…There's something about a connection issue. I can call you just fine, but we're completely cut off from where we're going. Other places are limited."</p><p>"<i>Unless you've been hit by the worst scrambling in the galaxy…</i>"</p><p>"<i>It sounds like you're in some kind of space pocket!</i>" Techno realises. "<i>You could have flown into a strange time/space glitch and you can only contact people through the hole you made!</i>"</p><p>Tommy sits up. "Wilbur. I think we might have an idea of how to solve this. I'll get back to you later."</p><p>Cupping his hand over the phone, he explains everything they've thought of so far.</p><p>"It does make sense. I don't know why we haven't thought of it sooner." Wilbur stands. "I think we should go to the cockpit to look over the navigation info. We might be able to get out of here."</p><p>Relief washes over Tommy. He pockets his phone, still on call with Techno, but they're just waiting. He can faintly hear Techno arguing with Insufferable.</p><p>He picks up his crutches and hobbles to his feet, struggling in the darkness.</p><p>"This is probably going to be a huge risk." Wilbur warns, "but I think it's better for the two of us to stay together than for me to leave you alone." Wilbur pulls a knife from a drawer in the kitchenette, "Just to be safe."</p><p>Tommy nods, but nerves prod at his heart at the sight of the blade. Even in the hands of Wilbur, who he knows he can trust.</p><p>(What if they'd been wrong about there only being two murderers?)</p><p>He shakes his worried thoughts out of his head, instead following Wilbur out of the cafeteria to Weapons. He reaches into his pocket and turns the volume down on his phone when Techno and Insufferable's argument becomes louder, allowing him and Wilbur to listen for any footsteps. Breathing. Anything to alert them to Tubbo being ahead.</p><p>The silence isn't nearly as loud when he's with Wilbur.</p><p>Wilbur uses his phone as a torch, flashing it ahead of them. Tommy can't do the same, both of his hands occupied with his crutches.</p><p>They click quietly against the floor.</p><p>"…Where do you think the others are?" Tommy asks softly.</p><p>"I wasn't really paying attention to where they went." Wilbur admits. "But I think Phil and Sylvee went this way. We'll probably run into them."</p><p>If they're still alive. </p><p>The knowledge that there could be people ahead only makes Tommy less at ease, despite the fact that he knows that they aren't going to want to hurt him.</p><p>The crutches are a huge handicap, leaving him entirely under the protection of Wilbur. Tommy can't exactly fight back without dropping them or falling over.</p><p>They pass by the empty oxygen room, and turn into the empty cockpit. "Phil should be here." Wilbur says, annoyed.</p><p>"It's not like Phil would know that the loop might be because of space." Tommy defends.</p><p>"Well, he's the pilot. It's protocol for him to stay in the cockpit during a crisis." Wilbur says, and sits at the centre console. "I'll look over the nav logs, you check the radar."</p><p>Tommy sits at one of the seats, turning the screen on and looking through the maps. He props his crutches against the console. </p><p>Everything seems as usual. There's a few more meteriods drifting nearby, but that's about it. There's nothing that close.</p><p>He turns up the intensity of the scanner, reaching a bit further out.</p><p>The signal pings back, outlining some scrap metal off to the starboard side, but there's a strange emptiness that reaches out not too far in front of them. Like the signal fades away, failing to even point out the thin static of space dust. </p><p>It's a pure void.</p><p>It looks like, if it does take an hour and a half for the loop to reset, they'll have travelled very deep into that void when it does happen.</p><p>Tommy knows enough about space to understand that an area being completely absent of <i>any</i>, even the smallest of particles, is unnatural.</p><p>He pulls his phone out to snap a picture that he sends to Techno. He carefully raises the volume of the call, lifting it to his ear. "I sent you a photo from the radar."</p><p>"<i>That looks strange. The sensors might just be broken, though.</i>" Techno says.</p><p>"<i>It really looks like there's a barrier, but probably not, like a wall or something.</i>"</p><p>"<i>If that emptiness is what's resetting the loop, then the radar waves are probably passing through it and not coming back because it's one way.</i>"</p><p>Tommy looks back at the intimidating emptiness, now closer as the ship sails forwards. </p><p>"<i>What, like they're travelling to the next loop before the ship does? I guess that would make it like a bubble.</i>"</p><p>Techno's voice becomes more excited, "<i>So the possessed guys' goal would be to stop the ship before it's reset, right?</i>"</p><p>…That would mean that Tubbo would want to go to the cockpit, right? </p><p>"<i>Then they've been failing to do a very simple task. I think your crew is pretty dumb, Blade.</i>"</p><p>Tommy spins his chair around, facing the door. He can barely make out the frame in the pure darkness, the only lights in the room being his and Wilbur's screens. "…Wilbur?"</p><p>Wilbur holds a hand up placatingly. "Just a sec… Just setting up this system. What did you want?"</p><p>("<i>I think it's proof that they're smart. Since the murderous ones have failed every time.</i>")</p><p>"I think we should lock the door."</p><p>("<i>When someone's possessed, the parasite can only work with the host's brain. Therefore, your crew are all dumb.</i>")</p><p>Wilbur looks up, realisation dawning on his face. "Yes." He stands, walking to across the room, fading into the thick darkness.</p><p>Wilbur left his knife on the dashboard.</p><p>("<i>How would you know how possession works?</i>")</p><p>Tommy can hear as Wilbur grabs the handle of the bulkhead, pulling it shut with an echoing screech. </p><p>Wilbur moves to sit down again, and Tommy is overcome with a strange disorientation. Wilbur stumbles, catching himself on the back of his chair. Techno and Insufferable's conversation falls into static.</p><p>The world fades in and out again.</p><p> </p><p>Tommy wakes up with a start. The alarms pierce through his skull. </p><p>What the fuck.</p><p> </p><p>He stumbles out of bed. Tubbo sits up, looking worried, but Tommy doesn't spare him more than a glance.</p><p>"It ended too early." He says blankly. </p><p>"What?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>Tommy backs away, pulling at his hair nervously. "I was supposed to have another hour. More than that."</p><p> </p><p>A horrible realisation dawns on him.</p><p> </p><p>The loops are getting shorter.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm excited to go to Uni and actually meet new people for the first time since this pandemic hit</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0046"><h2>46. Promises II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>longest chapter yet pog</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tubbo is at a loss for words for a moment. Tommy's pacing around the room, muttering. </p>
<p>"You had another loop." Tubbo realises. He hops down from the bunk bed. He thinks about the implications of this, which aren't pleasant. "How long has it been since <i>I</i> remember?" Tommy could have just lived through a dozen loops, and Tubbo had no idea. This lost time is very uncomfortable to think about.</p>
<p>"It - it was only once." Tommy says unsurely. "But it felt weird, and everything was off about it. Things are making less sense."</p>
<p>Tubbo pulls on his jacket, and pushes the notebook into Tommy's hands. "Write it down. I'm going to go explain my plan to the others." He grabs the door handle to slide it open, but pauses. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"It didn't work, did it." He says flatly, turning around to look at Tommy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tommy looks like a deer in the headlights, clutching the book to his chest defensively, "what?"</p>
<p>"My plan. It didn't work."</p>
<p>Tommy nods nervously.</p>
<p>"Why? I don't get it, the plan makes sense, cut off the impostors and no one gets infected -"</p>
<p>"I don't know how it happened." Tommy says slowly, carefully, "it was you and Minx."</p>
<p>"You can trust me." Tubbo reminds him, "you don't remember everything, but I don't want to hurt you. You know me, you know I wouldn't."</p>
<p>Tommy doesn't respond, sighing and walking past him and out of the room. Tubbo feels like he didn't really say the right thing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tommy walks up to Fundy, ignoring everyone else in the hallway. "We need to talk."</p>
<p>"Tommy, we're kind of in the middle of a crisis." Wilbur says. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait."</p>
<p>Tubbo watches in shock as Tommy turns around and jabs Wilbur in the chest. "We can't waste any time! We have, like, three hours to escape a time loop before we really get <i>fucked</i>"</p>
<p>"Tommy!" Scott says in surprise. </p>
<p>Fundy looks confused. "What do you mean? The loop ends in <i>five</i> hours. Which, yeah, isn't enough time to solve everything, what's the <i>urgency</i>?"</p>
<p>"The loops are getting shorter." Tommy announces, "by <i>hours</i>. I have no idea how long we've got before we don't have a chance anymore."</p>
<p>Fundy falls silent.</p>
<p>Wilbur runs a hand over his face. "Okay, let me get this straight. There's a time loop, you all know different information… impending doom."</p>
<p>"I believe them," Phil says, "…not sure why, but I feel like I already knew."</p>
<p>Tubbo fiddles with the tube of glue still in his pocket. He hates not understanding what's happening. He's utterly lost in all of this new information. "Nobody go down to the cargo bay." he says, glancing around unsurely. "There's a lot we need to get sorted out."</p>
<p>Wilbur sighs. "If you're sure. I'll be in Security."</p>
<p>"Be careful." Tommy says, "and don't go anywhere near Storage."</p>
<p>Wilbur gives him a tired nod, and the rest of the group splits up as people go their usual ways, leaving the three of them alone. </p>
<p>"What's going on?" Fundy asks, tugging at the ears glued to his head. "Have you been looping more?"</p>
<p>Tubbo and Tommy nod, and Tommy holds the notebook out. "I don't think you know anything I don't, so just read my notes."</p>
<p>Fundy takes the book, blinking tiredly at the words scrawled on the pages.</p>
<p>"Tubbo's plan," Tommy says, an edge of something unpleasant in his voice, "didn't do shit."</p>
<p>Fundy looks up, taken aback. "What?" </p>
<p>"It made sense." Tubbo says defensively, not looking up at them. "I wanted to close all of the vents so the possessing stuff can't reach anyone. It… it was a more detailed version of <i>Fundy's</i> plan!" It feels strange, talking about the future he hasn't - will never - live, in past tense. Tommy's probably seen more to make him trust Tubbo less.</p>
<p>"Yeah. It didn't work." Tommy crosses his arms, looking down at Tubbo, "Fundy, I'm not sure we should be trusting him. Everything I've seen points to this all being a ruse that he made up. There's something wrong with his head."</p>
<p>Tubbo's heart drops to hear Tommy's thoughts spoken so plainly. He had known, but it's… painful. Staring at the seam between the wall and the floor opposite, he objects, "I haven't done anything! Fundy, you <i>know</i> it can be anyone."</p>
<p>"Sorry Tommy, I know you're wrong." Fundy says. "Tubbo's just like us. We need to work together."</p>
<p>Tommy groans. "Seriously?"</p>
<p>Tubbo takes the book from Fundy's hands, and checks the notes. "…We don't know the size or… tangibility… of the evil energy stuff. It probably can travel through cracks in the ventilation system. The ship's so old."</p>
<p>"Fine," Tommy accepts reluctantly. "So that means we can't contain it."</p>
<p>None of them say anything.</p>
<p>Tubbo walks past Tommy and back into their bedroom to place the book back on the desk. <br/>Maybe that's it. Failure is inevitable, and they will never make it out with everyone alive. They're fucked. He swipes the back of his hand against his eyes, glad to be facing away from the others.</p>
<p>With a shaky sigh, he turns around.<br/>"You said the loop is getting shorter." he addresses Tommy, as much as he'd like to avoid him. </p>
<p>"Yeah. I know what's causing this. There's a barrier of nothingness not that far ahead that we've been flying into. And I'm pretty sure it's coming closer every loop. <i>If we don't get this figured out, the loops will end up over seconds after they begin.</i> We can't keep retrying."</p>
<p>Tubbo isn't sure what to say. His mind races, "If we keep flying into the reset, then wouldn't we be able to escape by turning around?" </p>
<p>"We still have the issue of <i>murderers</i>" Tommy says pointedly, "we'll all be killed by the time we get there. However long that takes."</p>
<p>"Oh. Right… do you think we could clog the ventilation system with something? To block all the cracks?"</p>
<p>Tommy looks like he wants to roll his eyes. "What exactly would that be? The best thing would be the auto-sealant, and that can only be accessed from <i>inside the cargo bay.</i> It seems to me like there's no way to keep this shit away from the rest of the crew." </p>
<p>Fundy looks up. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"…What if we did go down?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo stares at him, aghast. "We’d get possessed. Perfect targets."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"…Exactly." Fundy murmers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"What are you getting at?" Tubbo asks cautiously.</p>
<p>Fundy yanks one of the ears out of his hair, ripping hair from his scalp. "It doesn't leave its host, does it? Even when it's been caught."</p>
<p>"Fundy, I don't think - "</p>
<p>"Then, there <i>is</i> a way to contain it. If someone gets possessed on purpose."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"<i>What the fuck!</i>" Tubbo exclaims, "that's a terrible idea! We don't know if there's a cure! You can't expect anyone to just give up their -"</p>
<p>"Then I'll do it." Fundy says simply. "I'm fucking tired of this, man."</p>
<p>"That - that - you can't! There's probably another solution -"</p>
<p>"It's better than what happens if we don't do anything, isn't it? Where we don't know who it's got, and people end up dead."</p>
<p>And Tubbo can't argue with that. He falls silent, taking a step back. "You won't just hand yourself in. There's still a danger." He feels betrayed, even though Fundy's plan is completely self-sacrifice.</p>
<p>Fundy shrugs. "Every day we do something stupid and dangerous. It's nothing new. All you need to do lock the hatch after I climb down. I won't be able to get out and hurt anyone."</p>
<p>Tubbo sighs. "…It's the best we've got, isn't it?"</p>
<p>"It's my only idea."</p>
<p>"There's always two, though," Tubbo says, and resolution builds in his chest, "I'll go with you." </p>
<p>Tommy butts in, "No. I don't care how much Fundy thinks he can trust you, I'm not letting you follow him into a locked room. I have an idea of what you'd do." he says with a glare.</p>
<p>"What the fuck, Tommy." Tubbo says.</p>
<p>Tommy ignores his outburst. "Whoever goes in there is vulnerable to the other. You'd have the perfect chance to kill Fundy. So, <i>I'll</i> go."</p>
<p>"Tommy - "</p>
<p>"I don't need you two fighting over who gets to lose his autonomy right now." Fundy interrupts. "It's too morbid. Tommy will come with me, and you, Tubbo can make sure we get out of this loop safely."</p>
<p>Tubbo pauses, realising they're at an impasse. It's two against one, unless Tubbo brings someone else into the argument. And if the others know, there's no way they'll let them do this. They <i>need</i> to do it. It's the only plan they've got.</p>
<p>He doesn't want his last interaction with the real Tommy to be <i>this</i>.</p>
<p>Tubbo crosses his arms, turning his head to avoid eye contact with a scowl. "Fine." he growls.</p>
<p>Fine, he'll let his best friend go, maybe forever. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's not like Tommy even likes him anymore, so what does it matter?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>____</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fundy gives Tubbo a parting hug at the top of the ladder. "This is probably one of the stupidest things I've ever done." he mumbles into Tubbo's hair. </p>
<p>"I don't know, it has some competition." Tubbo chuckles emptily.</p>
<p>Fundy pulls away from the hug, gripping Tubbo by the shoulders, staring intently into his eyes. "Listen to me. No matter what we say, or do, you can't let us out. If this loop sticks, I don't want to come back to myself and know that I was the reason you got hurt. Promise me."</p>
<p>Tubbo closes his eyes. "…I promise."</p>
<p>Fundy smiles, and Tubbo commits the image to memory. There's bags under Fundy's eyes, he still has one fabric ear stuck to his head, is missing a clump of hair, and hasn't shaved in a while. Tubbo doesn't want to ever forget this if the real Fundy never comes back.</p>
<p>With a wave, Fundy climbs down the ladder, disappearing into the cargo bay. Tommy follows him without a glance in Tubbo's direction. </p>
<p>Tubbo grabs the handle of the hatch, hauling the door up and swinging it over to thud against the seal. He tightens the wheel of the lock until he can't budge it any more. For safety, he picks up one of the smaller crates and with of a struggle, places it on top to hold it down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With that done, he sits down on the floor and buries his head in his hands.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>____</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Tubbo?... It didn't work." Fundy calls, and Tubbo hears him knocking his hand against the hatch door. "We messed up."</p>
<p>Tubbo shakily pulls himself to his feet. "I'm not letting you out."</p>
<p>"Seriously Tubbo, we must have taken too long or something - we need to figure out a new plan."</p>
<p>He looks down at the covered entryway. "I can't."</p>
<p>"<i>Tubbo</i>" Fundy pleads. "We're going to waste a loop. We have no idea how much time we have left. I knew this idea was stupid."</p>
<p>He backs away. "You're just trying to manipulate me. <i>I'm not letting you out.</i> I promised."</p>
<p>"Tubbo - "</p>
<p>"You're not Fundy. I'm sorry." </p>
<p>Tubbo turns and walks away, stepping out of Storage and locking the doors behind him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>____</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He knocks on Phil's door. "Phil?" </p>
<p>After a few moments Phil opens the door, running a hand through his hair tiredly. "Whadd'ya want?"</p>
<p>Tubbo wrings his hands unsure what to say. "…We need to turn the ship around."</p>
<p>Phil blinks. "Why would we do that?"</p>
<p>Tubbo explains everything he knows as Phil pulls on a jacket and grabs his hat. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"We should talk to Wilbur before we do anything." Phil says.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>____</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo follows Phil into Security. Wilbur casually spins his chair to face them. "Oh, hey." </p>
<p>Wilbur is watching the same show as before, but it's windowed rather than fullscreen, and Tubbo can just see the security feed from Cargo behind it. Tommy and Fundy seem to be having a conversation, it seems, but there isn't any audio.</p>
<p>"So, uh. This timeloop thing." Phil says.</p>
<p>"We need to get out of the loop, and I think we can do that by turning the ship around." Tubbo explains.</p>
<p>"If we don't deliver the cargo for our employer on time we're going to be in a mess." Wilbur says, quirking an eyebrow. "They're the shady type. There could be some <i>consequences</i>"</p>
<p>"Well, we're not going to deliver it if we're stuck here, anyway." Tubbo snaps.</p>
<p>Tommy strides over to the meteor, and lifts his leg to plant his foot on it, leaning his weight against the rock wedged in the wall, animatedly talking.</p>
<p>Noticing Tubbo staring at the monitor, Wilbur turns to look.</p>
<p>"Oh shit." Wilbur says. "What does he think he's doing?" He stands, but Tubbo waves his hands, panicked.</p>
<p>"We can't go down there! Fundy and Tommy are being controlled by something! They'll try to kill you!"</p>
<p>Tommy looks ready to kick the meteor back out of the ship.<br/>Fundy shoves Tommy away, sending him stumbling away. He looks like he's yelling.</p>
<p>"Oh thank fuck." Wilbur breathes, and sits down again. "At least <i>Fundy</i> has some sense."</p>
<p>Tubbo doesn't look away from the screen. Fundy turns to look directly up at the camera with a glare and his mouth moves as he says something. Tommy nods.</p>
<p>"Is this enough proof that we need to take this seriously?" Tubbo says, "They're not thinking normally, we need to <i>get out of here.</i>"</p>
<p>"It does make sense to return and pick up the rest of the crew when we're in a crisis." Phil supports.</p>
<p>Wilbur glowers. "Fine. But if this gets us all assassinated, it's your fault."</p>
<p>Phil walks out of the room, but Tubbo doesn't follow him immediately. "What's in the cargo, anyway?"</p>
<p>"I guess if we're not completing the job, you <i>might as well</i> know. It's some bio samples. Questionable ethics, so they had to use… less official couriers. It was a good paying job, but I guess we're not seeing any of that now." Wilbur laments.</p>
<p>On the screen, Fundy and Tommy drag a large crate to sit in front of the camera, blocking half the room from view.</p>
<p>"…Could those samples be involved in all of this?" Tubbo asks.</p>
<p>Wilbur waves his hand. "Nah. Not unless tissue samples can gain consciousness and intelligence. And break out of solid metal containers. It's just cells. Frozen ones."</p>
<p>Tubbo nods unsurely. With nothing else to say, he leaves.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo sits on a seat next to the pilot's chair. "I don’t really know what we should be looking out for. So I think we should just try retracing our path and see what happens."</p>
<p>Phil shrugs, flipping switches and grabbing the yoke to direct the ship in a smooth turn. "Sounds fine to me." He clicks the intercom button. "<i>This is your pilot speaking, we're changing course - we'll be turning around and returning to Rigel.</i>" he announces.</p>
<p>Probably isn't ideal for the passengers, but a wasted week or two is better than <i>never</i> getting to their destination.</p>
<p>Tubbo sits there for a few minutes, staring out at the expansive darkness outside. Eventually, he stands. "If anything goes wrong, you might have to turn around again… we can probably… reset everything by colliding with that barrier that Tommy was talking about."</p>
<p>Phil nods.</p>
<p>The point only stands if Tommy was right about the loops, if not, then nothing they're doing should affect the loop anyway. </p>
<p>"Lock the door behind me." Tubbo says as he wanders out.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's quiet, and a bit lonely, now. It seems like everything has actually been solved, but of course, Tubbo isn't going to let his guard down. </p>
<p>Presumably, he had done that in Tommy's loop, and it had fucked everything over.<br/>As good as everything appears, he's not going to take it for granted.</p>
<p>Sylvee is in the cafeteria, stirring a drink. Like always. </p>
<p>This time, with nothing better to do, Tubbo joins her. He grabs a questionably old container from the fridge, and sits next to her. She looks at him but doesn't say anything, so he just picks at the leftover nachos absently.</p>
<p>How would they cure Tommy and Fundy? A hit to the head? Brain surgery? Finding a psychic and just hoping they're real?</p>
<p>Tubbo is tempted to make Phil turn them around again just to undo this stupid decision. What if this is permanent, like brain damage?</p>
<p>It's useless to just speculate, but Tubbo has nothing else to distract his thoughts with.</p>
<p>"Uh, are you okay, kid?" Sylvee asks, a hand lifted like she intends to give him a reassuring pat on the back. "You're looking… sad."</p>
<p>"I <i>am</i> sad." Tubbo says, but doesn't bother explaining.</p>
<p>Sylvee takes a sip of her drink, radiating discomfort.</p>
<p>With a sigh, Tubbo abandons his still-cold nachos and wanders off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>____</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo opens the door to Admin, where he finds CPK.</p>
<p>"Oh, what are you doing in here?" Tubbo asks.</p>
<p>Callum crosses his arms. "Why are we turning around? I need to get to Hydrus."</p>
<p>"Oh yeah, sorry about that."</p>
<p>Callum frowns, "I was here to see if I could spot something wrong with the ship. Since no one I've spoken actually knows why we're going back."</p>
<p>"There's nothing wrong with the ship… well, other than the meteor jammed in the wall. But that isn't a problem since the auto-sealant handled it."</p>
<p>"You're not going to tell me what's going on, then."</p>
<p>Tubbo shakes his head and grins shamelessly. He swipes his hand against the admin table, activating systems randomly. "You won't figure it out."</p>
<p>Callum raises eyebrows. "Is that a challenge?"</p>
<p>"Maybe." Tubbo laughs, leaning against the table.</p>
<p>It beeps. He turns to look. </p>
<p>Oh, he accidentally activated a diagnostic. The screen displays the lifesigns in the ship</p>
<p>[Onboard: 10]</p>
<p>As expected. He absently scrolls around, seeing a clump of people in the lounge, then Phil in the cockpit, Wilbur in Security and the two of them in Admin.</p>
<p>He scrolls down to the next deck. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>There's no one in the Cargo bay.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>this chapter took a bit longer to come out because I decided to try and rewrite the plan to be more dramatic than what I had outlined.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0047"><h2>47. Of Mice II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At first Tubbo doesn't know what to think. He stares blankly at the empty room that Admin displays.</p>
<p>He hits reload.</p>
<p>Nothing changes.</p>
<p>Callum says something, but Tubbo can't hear him over the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his ears. A hand is waved in front of his face and he snaps his eyes away from the screen and to Callum's confused face.</p>
<p>"Ah, are you… alright? Kid?" he asks.<br/>Tubbo looks between the concerned man and the screen despairingly, and turns to leave. Callum grabs him be the shoulder. "Hey- wait! You can tell me what's wrong, I want to help!"</p>
<p>"They're gone." Tubbo says blankly.</p>
<p>"Who- who's gone?" Callum asks nervously.</p>
<p>Tommy and Fundy aren't in the cargo bay. How the hell did they get out? Unless they threw themselves out of the airlock… "They escaped."</p>
<p>"<i>Escaped?</i> What are you talking about?"</p>
<p>"Tommy and Fundy." Tubbo says, "They've been infected by some kind of mind control and they want to kill everyone on the ship. Tell the others, we all need to be on the look out." Ignoring Callum's bewilderment, Tubbo runs out of Admin. He needs to go to Security.</p>
<p>He runs down the hallway, his footsteps colliding loudly with the floor with each step. How would Tommy and Fundy have gotten out? Did - did someone open the hatch for them - where even are they? The Admin screen showed everyone else other than them, which means that they're <i>not</i> in a room - probably in the hallways still…</p>
<p>The hallway stretches onward beyond him, but he pulls his eyes away from the darkness and throws the door to Security open. "Wilbur! There's an emergency!"</p>
<p>Wilbur flinches and turns to look at him standing at the door. "<i>What?</i>"</p>
<p>Tubbo leans heavily against the doorframe. "I don't know where Tommy and Fundy are."</p>
<p>Wilbur swears under his breath, turning back to the Security footage, pulling up the feed from Cargo. The majority of the view is entirely blocked off by crates stacked in front of the camera, leaving only the hull wall visible. "I have no idea what they've been up to." Wilbur says, voice heavy with resignation. "They've been doing something, I could tell. But I have no idea what."</p>
<p>"The Admin table says they're not there anymore."</p>
<p>"That… <i>doesn't make sense</i>" Wilbur says, "I've been watching Storage, too. No one's been in there, there's no way that they were able to get out… Unless…"</p>
<p>"Unless what?" Tubbo prods.</p>
<p>Wilbur closes his eyes, frustrated, or dismayed. "I'm sure you know of them by now. The maintenance tunnels."</p>
<p>Tubbo recoils, realisation cutting through his thoughts. "Then, they - they're in the walls."</p>
<p>"Yes." Wilbur sighs. "They could be anywhere in this nightmare of a ship. They must have found an entry point after trying every panel in the walls. I should have known."</p>
<p>"This isn't hopeless, is it?" Tubbo says desperately, "you know the tunnels, you know where they lead, right?"</p>
<p>"It's… not that simple." Wilbur admits, "There isn't a floorplan, or anything. I haven't explored them, myself, I just know where <i>most</i> of the entry points are."</p>
<p>Tubbo cringes. "Oh."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After a pause, "Do you, like have a map or something?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Time ticks over. As if going through the motions rather than feeling any actual urgency, Tubbo calls Niki and then Techno. Things go as usual. </p>
<p>"Don't call me back. I'll call you." he tells a confused Techno, and then hangs up.</p>
<p>He wonders if they actually will be okay, or if he's just buying them a few hours of time. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He doesn't know, but he'll probably find out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's probably not a good one, but Tubbo has a plan. It's simple enough, in concept. Everyone else has to stay on the top deck, which, to Wilbur's knowledge, only has a few openings to the tunnels. Those will be nailed shut by Minx and Scott. Tubbo shall patrol the ship, with Wilbur watching Security and ready to call him if he sees anything. The plan kind of banks on nothing going wrong, but if it does, there'll probably be some wiggle room.</p>
<p>Tubbo acting as security guard doesn't entirely make sense, what with Minx officially holding the role, but Tubbo had managed to convince Wilbur (partially lying) that he has plenty of experience in this exact situation. As the only sane looper, Tubbo <i>is</i> the most qualified.</p>
<p>Tubbo walks from Security. His current mission is to find himself something to defend himself with. </p>
<p>The obvious answer is something from the actual weapons storage, but it’s perhaps a bit too risky to open it. Wilbur is the only one who knows the code to open it, and it should stay that way.</p>
<p>But Tubbo knows the next best thing.</p>
<p>There's knives in the kitchen, but Tubbo doesn't pick them up for the sake of arming himself. Instead, he upends the knife block over the waste compactor, letting the blades fall from their slots and into the waiting processor. He clicks the cover shut, and activates it. </p>
<p>The mechanism whirs to life with the sharp crunching and shattering of metal on metal and plastic. After a few seconds of screeching, painful noise, Tubbo shuts it off. The knives have been utterly obliterated, minced into small shards. One threat dealt with, way too many to go.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Unfortunately, there's absolutely no way to remove every object that could be used as a blunt weapon from the equation. Everyone on the ship is inventive enough to know how to utilise any object as a tool; Tommy and Fundy are no exception to the rule, even when out of their minds.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo hums a tune to himself, shaking the nerves out. He can deal with this, it's nothing new. Like a game. A game he's figured out how to win. He's gonna take out his enemies all on his own, like that old movie Die Hard and its dozens of sequels. It'll be cool.</p>
<p>He continues to entertain that thought when he yanks the heavy door to Comms open. The duffel bag was… leaned against the cabinet, partially behind something. He drags it into the open, unzips it all the way and pulls out the sword.</p>
<p>It's pretty fucking epic.</p>
<p>(His hands feel like they have held this sword before, but he's not sure why.)</p>
<p>He unsheathes it, admiring the brilliant way the alloy shines in the light. He tilts it slightly, inspecting how it sparkles with a strange pattern he can't quite make sense of. It's beautiful, and it can kill. Might've already done so.</p>
<p>He straps the belt around his hip, sheathing the sword again. With no reason to stay in the communications room, he steps out, closing the door behind him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Wow. He's really doing this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He has a sword.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the actual-yesterday, before they had fallen into this loop, he hadn't even known Techno <i>had</i> a sword.</p>
<p>He can only describe it as surreal. </p>
<p>(Perhaps it's a good thing that Techno and the others aren't onboard. The loops would've gone very different if it were <i>Techno</i> to be possessed, who stashes weapons everywhere)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Although Wilbur had set the lights to be brighter than every other loop, the ship is still in the middle of its night cycle. Tubbo doesn't have to strain his eyes to look down the hallway to see the containers in Storage, but it's close. The low light dulls the colours, making the hallway look very grey. Lifeless.</p>
<p>Hand gently resting on the hilt of his sword, Tubbo begins his wandering of the ship.</p>
<p>He checks his watch. It's already past five AM. More than three whole hours since they woke up. But time isn't actually important, is it? All he actually had to worry about was remember to call Niki and Techno. Everything else is a hopeful attempt to postpone the <i>inevitable</i>.</p>
<p>(He shouldn't think like that)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He passes by Navigation, but he doesn't knock on the door. Phil knows what's going on, he doesn't need to waste time better spent keeping an eye out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He continues his walk, passing oxygen and arriving at Weapons. He glances around the dark room. He sits on the seat. Time to wait. For anything.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Anything" does not happen. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Restlessness itches at him. What the hell would Tommy and Fundy be doing?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Every other loop, the murderers didn't <i>wait around</i>. They always attacked early. Why would this time be any different?</p>
<p>What did Tommy learn? Is Tubbo missing something?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's not like he's gonna find out. He leans back in the seat and pushes the interface screen aside so he can look out the window at the endless clouds of stars.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He still listens carefully.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He wonders what it is like to be possessed, like the murderers are. Apparently, he already has been. That's a strange thought.</p>
<p>Would he be a prisoner in his own mind, watching helplessly as someone else moves his hands to hurt his friends, or would he be completely unaware of his strange actions?</p>
<p>Do Tommy and Fundy, wherever they are, believe they are acting logically?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It’s a fascinating trail of thought, but uncomfortable. He can only describe it as creepy, but that doesn't really sum it up to its fullest extent. Macabre. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Of all the plans they could have come up with, why is he committing to this one? What's stopping him from making Phil turn around and forcing time to reset itself?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Impatient, he leaps to his feet and storms out of the room.</p>
<p>His own thoughts are pretty shitty company.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He calms down when he reaches the middle of the cafeteria. He's not sure where he thought he was going.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He just stands there for a while.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The room pulses red. He jerks his head up to, snapped out of his meaningless thoughts. An emergency.<br/>The alarm blares obnoxiously. </p>
<p>He runs to the nearest console. The oxygen generators are out of order.</p>
<p>Tubbo doesn't hesitate, running out of the cafeteria. </p>
<p>He's reminded of his first loop, so long ago. He doesn't risk twisting his ankles when he runs around corners this time. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He's the only one down here. It's likely a trap, but he can't just <i>not</i> fix the Oxygen. He slows his stride for a half-second to draw the sword. Running with the scabbard is a bit awkward, since he isn't nearly as tall as Techno.</p>
<p>He skids to a stop, close to slipping over when he arrives at his destination.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In front of him stands Fundy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>…Who would win? A skilled man with a knife or an inexperienced kid with a sword?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fundy's eyes dart over him, looking unimpressed, before landing on Tubbo's sword. He suddenly looks a lot more nervous.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fundy is already holding his knife, and his grip rearranges around its handle. Menacing. Tubbo doesn't quite feel the same fear he once had.</p>
<p>Tubbo holds his sword in front of himself. He, less surely, adjusts his stance. "Fundy. I have a sword. You have a knife." he warns. He doesn't <i>want</i> to hurt Fundy, but Fundy probably already knows that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fundy doesn't respond. His glare intensifies, and his arm twitches slightly. </p>
<p>The ship continues to flash red. This is urgent, but Tubbo can't make himself step forward and use the weapon in his hand.</p>
<p>"Where's Tommy?" Tubbo asks, not glancing behind him. The chance of a surprise attack from Tommy is high, but he's not going to take his eyes off of Fundy.</p>
<p>Fundy hesitates. He draws his hands closer to himself, and leans back. Confidence appears in his expression. "What's it to you? I wouldn't think you'd <i>care.</i> Not after you locked him in Cargo bay all alone with <i>me</i>."</p>
<p>He's trying to get to Tubbo. That's plain fucking obvious. Tubbo doesn't waver. "You know why."</p>
<p>Fundy rolls his eyes. "Sure."</p>
<p>Tubbo sighs. "Where is he." he prods.</p>
<p>"He's dead." Fundy says, matter-of-fact.</p>
<p>Tubbo falters. "What?" he says blankly. <br/>No.</p>
<p>Fundy shrugs, keeping his eyes on Tubbo's sword. "I killed him. It seems like our little plan didn't work. He wasn't on my side."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tubbo looks down at his hand, wrapped around the intricate handle of his - no, Techno's sword. "No." he says blankly, with not surety behind it.</p>
<p>Fundy uses the opportunity to inch forward. Tubbo's eyes snap back to him, and he steps away to maintain the distance between them. "You've already failed, Tubbo." Fundy taunts. </p>
<p>"H-Hardly. I have a sword." Tubbo counters, but it's hollow.</p>
<p>Fundy raises an eyebrow. He suddenly lunges forward, reaching for Tubbo's wrist. In panic, Tubbo steps aside, swinging the sword without thought. It slashes Fundy from elbow to bicep. The curves in a wide arc propelled by it’s own weight before colliding with the wall behind Tubbo.</p>
<p>"<i>Fuck!</i>" Fundy screams, staggering aside, letting the knife drop from his hand. It falls through the grating they stand on.</p>
<p>Tubbo drops his arms, letting the sword clang against the metal floor. He takes a desperate, gasping breath.</p>
<p>Oh shit shit <i>shit</i>. He hurt Fundy - will he be okay? What does Tubbo do, he needs to get Fundy medical attention, or to the brig, but he needs to fix the oxygen--</p>
<p>Fundy covers his wound with one hand, giving Tubbo a foul look with a hint of fear. "I didn't think you had it in you." he spits.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>happy writing-the-word-"time"-more-than-300-times to me</p>
<p>I had to enlist my sister to check older chapters to avoid a continuity error because I've reached the point where I can't stand to read older chapters.</p>
<p>So how about that dsmp lore huh.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0048"><h2>48. Pelagic Sharks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tubbo clutches at the sword, utterly at a loss of what to do. In front of him is Fundy, steadily bleeding from an open wound in his arm (that <i>Tubbo</i> gave him). Behind him is the oxygen generator, close to breaking completely. Tubbo can't waste any time, but the moment he turns his back or puts his weapon aside, the dying man will jump him.</p><p>The alarm continues to blare.</p><p>Tubbo's phone buzzes. Not looking away from Fundy, he pulls one hand from its tight grip around the hilt of the sword to retrieve his phone from his pocket. He flicks his eyes down to read at text from Wilbur.</p><p>
  <i>Don't worry, I'm watching. I don't think I should leave Security, but I know how to help. Just get Fundy out of the room and into the corridor. I'll lock the door so you can fix the generator.</i>
</p><p>Tubbo nods to himself, and pockets the phone again. Looking back to Fundy, he levels the sword in what he hopes is an intimidating stance. "Fundy. Back up." He says, the waver in his voice as faint as he can force it. "Out."</p><p>Fundy blinks in surprise. Holding his hands up (the injured arm not held nearly as high) in a casual surrender, he obliges. </p><p>The moment Fundy steps back over the threshold, the door slides shut, locking.</p><p>Tubbo lets out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. Not allowing himself to waste any more time, he runs to the panel, investigating the damage that Fundy had inflicted on the tech. It's almost identical to the first time, so Tubbo doesn't hesitate. </p><p>He sets the sword down on the floor to dig the tube of glue out of his pocket, along with a strip of tape that he had picked up earlier for this exact purpose. He's learned from experience to carry tools around.</p><p>This time, he doesn't have to use <i>leaves</i> to wrap around the slashed wires.</p><p>He twists the severed ends of the wires together, pulling the rubber casing back to properly coil the metal wires around each other. He uncaps the glue and dabs it on, before cocooning them with wire. Probably overdoing it, but that's something to work out later.</p><p>He repeats the process, and when he touches the ends of the final broken wire together, the alarm shuts itself off, giving him some blissful silence. </p><p>Finishing his work, he pushes the cover back in place, pulling himself back to his feet. He crouches again to grab the sword, and looks back to the door. On cue, it slides open.</p><p>Feeling the beginnings of actual confidence, Tubbo sidles to the doorway, glancing out.</p><p>Fundy isn't in the hallway.</p><p>Tubbo doesn't even have time to panic because he next notices a panel of the wall has been pulled out, laying on the floor. There's an opening in the wall. </p><p>Fundy was obviously in a rush, and didn't have time to cover his tracks.</p><p>Droplets of blood trail across the floor, leading into the tunnel.</p><p> </p><p>Does Tubbo follow?</p><p> </p><p>He kind of has to. </p><p>Without help, Fundy <i>will</i> die, especially if Tommy is actually dead -- which, which means Tommy wouldn't be able to help him either.</p><p>Sheathing the sword, Tubbo runs to Medbay.</p><p>Through the empty hallways, past Weapons and Sylvee-free Cafeteria. He slams the button to open the Medbay door with painful force. Inside, he rips open a drawer and grabs what he needs - a roll of bandages.</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo returns to the open panel of the wall. He gives himself only a moment of hesitation, juggling the pros and cons, before accepting necessity and climbing into the tunnel.</p><p>It stinks of blood.</p><p> </p><p>As he crawls, his hands touch the gritty dampness of Fundy's blood trail. It's… Unpleasant.</p><p>The panicked impostor probably hasn't noticed the blood loss, too concerned with <i>getting away</i>. Not that Fundy particularly cares about his own wellbeing in this state.</p><p>It makes sense. Whatever is controlling him doesn't have much interest in keeping the body safe any longer than it takes to kill everyone on the ship. </p><p>Tubbo keeps crawling down the tunnel, which is less than a metre tall, but notably wider. Definitely a tunnel better suited for when the gravity is set sideways to what it is right now. A normal scenario during heavy maintenance, which is precisely what these tunnels are <i>for.</i> Not for chasing dying murderers in the dark.</p><p>He is pointedly aware of how he <i>can't</i> run if he comes into contact with any danger, the cramped quarters way too small to allow him to even draw his sword.</p><p> </p><p>He's prepared for a fight nevertheless, but not what he finds.</p><p> </p><p>There's a bend in the hallway, and around the hallway, Fundy is slumped slightly upright in the claustrophobic space. </p><p>Tubbo freezes, watching the steady rise and fall of his friend's chest. Fundy is partially sitting sideways, his uninjured arm reaching to the wound as if he had been clutching it before losing consciousness.</p><p>Tubbo crawls forward to sit at his side, hunched over because of the low roof. He pulls out his phone, turning on its torch so he can properly see what he's doing in the darkness.<br/>
He pulls out the bandages, setting the roll aside as he lifts Fundy slightly to pull his jacket away from his injured arm. </p><p>He pushes down the guilt at what he sees. It's not the time to feel <i>sorry</i> he just has to focus on fixing his blunder. </p><p>He uses strip of bandage to wipe the blood away before properly assessing the damage. It's not too deep, and the bleeding is slow enough that Tubbo can tell he didn't actually hit an artery. Fundy probably didn't actually pass out from blood loss - shock is more likely. </p><p>…It must've hurt a lot. </p><p> </p><p>No, <i>not the time for guilt</i>. </p><p>Tubbo unrolls the bandage, and begins rather clumsily wrapping it around Fundy's forearm, trying to remember everything he's ever been told about first aid. He should keep it tight, right? But not too tight, or Fundy will lose a lot circulation in his arm. </p><p>Fundy stirs slightly and Tubbo pauses, looks at his face, breath abated. Fundy blearily opens one eye to look back at him, before scrunching up his face and swiftly passing out again.</p><p>Tubbo hesitates, eyes still on Fundy's face, before continuing his messy bandaging.</p><p>After wrapping Fundy's forearm like a mummy, he's not sure what to do with the end. After a moment's deliberation, he fishes out the other end from under the layers and ties them together.</p><p>After another moment, he realises this was an absolutely stupid move and definitely not the right thing to do, but it's good enough for now. The next step is to get Fundy <i>out</i> of the tunnel.</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo looks over Fundy's unconscious form.<br/>
…It wouldn't be worth the effort climbing over his legs to his other side to <i>push</i> him out of the tunnel. People in the movies always <i>pull</i> unconscious bodies, anyway. There's probably a reason.</p><p>Tubbo shifts Fundy's torso to pull him aside from where he was leaned against the wall, so that his shoulders are square with Tubbo. His legs swing around slightly, but Fundy is left in an almost comical position, bent at the waist.<br/>
Putting the thought aside, Tubbo hooks his arms under Fundy's armpits and begins the painstaking process of pulling the taller, heavier man back the way he came. Tubbo can't stand in the small space, making more of an awkward half-crawling waddle as he pulls Fundy along.</p><p>The scabbard occasionally dips down and presses against the floor behind him, and he has to nudge it away so it doesn't impede his movement. </p><p>He has to adjust his hold continually as he goes, careful of Fundy's injury.</p><p>Tubbo listens out for anyone <i>else</i> is the tunnel system, but it is blessedly and damningly silent.</p><p>He's a bit out of breath by the time he makes it to the exit, gratefully falling out and stretching his legs. He cautiously grabs onto Fundy again, tugging him out slightly before reaching his arms under Fundy's body to lift him out.</p><p>Tubbo's already tired arms almost give out, but he <i>just</i> manages to not drop him on the floor, instead lowering him down as slowly as he can manage.</p><p> </p><p>Fundy doesn't do more than make the occasional grunt, which is worrying. </p><p>Hopefully, he's just catching up on some sleep.</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo sits down, legs stretched out in front of him, catching his breath for a minute or too. Scott shows up, explaining that Wilbur contacted him, and the two of them take Fundy back to Medbay. He's laid down on a bed, uninjured arm cuffed to the railing. Scott shoos Tubbo out, closing the door behind him. </p><p> </p><p>Left awkwardly standing in the hallway outside, Tubbo blinks. </p><p> </p><p>He might have phased out a bit there. </p><p>He feels very detached from what just happened, and so takes a moment to focus on his breath and then his surroundings. A grounding exercise, he thinks it is.</p><p>The floor is solid beneath his feet.</p><p> </p><p>He takes stock of his situation again. Glue and bandages in jacket pocket, phone in the back pocket of his jeans. His hand lands on the hilt of the sword, still sheathed at his hip.</p><p> </p><p>He pulls his hand back from the sword, not entirely comfortable with touching the blade anymore.</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo is slightly at a loss of what to do anymore. With Fundy apprehended and being taken care of, there isn't much he <i>needs</i> to do.</p><p>His feet carry him to the cafeteria, where he stands uselessly. The lights fade to full brightness. Dawn, if there was a sun.</p><p>He stares out the window at the distantly passing stars, before he's struck by the memory that Tommy exists.</p><p>Cursing himself for forgetting, Tubbo turns on his heel to speed-walk to Admin. He sits on one of the chairs lining the room, opening the scanner system, which after a moment's pause to calibrate, displays:</p><p>Lifesigns: 10</p><p>Everyone's still alive. Tommy isn't dead. </p><p>It was just a lie, something Fundy probably thought up on the spot to try and throw Tubbo off his guard.</p><p>It didn't really make any sense, anyway.</p><p>Tubbo leans back. All he can really do is sit back and wait for Tommy to make a move.</p><p> </p><p>He waits.</p><p> </p><p>And he waits.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Almost an hour passes, and nothing happens.</p><p> </p><p>Bored, Tubbo clicks around on the computer, selecting and deselecting sets of data. He had been trying to write another tune in head, but didn't get anywhere. </p><p>He doesn't like waiting, actually.</p><p> </p><p>It's getting harder and harder to stay awake, weariness pulling at his eyelids, and the chair he's seated in is <i>too comfortable</i>. He went to bed fairly late last night, in order to pull off the prank on Fundy, so long ago. Waking up so early hasn't been great for his energy levels, and this relative low has allowed that tiredness to come back again.</p><p>He taps his fingernails against the table impatiently, before giving up. He leaps to his feet, striding out of Admin.</p><p>He's not accomplishing anything in here. He wanders back to Medbay, opening the door to see Scott sitting down next to Fundy's bed, looking at his phone. Fundy is awake, and glowering at Scott.</p><p>They both look up at the sound of the door opening, and Scott gives Tubbo a thumbs up. "Fundy's gonna be fine." He reassures Tubbo. "I don't think there'll be any lasting damage, maybe a faint scar at worst."</p><p>Tubbo silently thanks the power of modern medical technology and those who actually know how to use it. </p><p>"I could keep Fundy here for a bit longer, but there's really no reason to." Scott says, standing. "Can you help me take him to the brig?"</p><p>Hearing this, Fundy sits up and yanks on the cuff. "Come on! There's no need to…" His fight fades out of him and he sighs in resignation.</p><p>Directed by Scott, Tubbo holds a steady grip on Fundys now neatly-bandaged arm by the wrist, ready to react if he lashes out. Scott unlocks the cuff hooked around the bedframe, and leads him to stand on his feet. </p><p>Tubbo steps back, hand resting on the hilt of the sword in a silent threat as he trails behind Scott and the prisoner as they march to the brig. </p><p>Scott climbs down the ladder first, the strangely compliant Fundy and then Tubbo following after him.</p><p>Scott gestures for Fundy to walk into the brig, which after a moment Fundy does. Scott hits the button and the door slides shut, and locks. Fundy is left to his own devices in the brig with a handcuff still latched around his wrist. He sits on the bed and lays back, facing the wall.</p><p>"…Good job, Tubbo." Scott says, an almost genuine smile on his face. "You did the right thing, and everyone's come out alive."</p><p><i>So far.</i> is the implied addition.</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo nods as he looks around. The meteor is still in the wall as always. There are crates stacked up on top of each other just next to the far wall, blocking Wilbur's view through the camera.</p><p>Scott wanders off, but Tubbo stays to move the crates back out of the way. He grabs the one on top and carefully eases it off the larger one, a little unsure of its weight. It tips over, surprisingly heavy, and Tubbo jumps back to dodge it falling on his feet. It lands with an echoing clang.</p><p>Fundy sits up, looks out the window at him, and laughs.</p><p>Slightly embarrassed, Tubbo checks that the camera has full view of the room again and leaves.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Tommy still hasn't made any sign that he's on the ship. It's a bit out of character for <i>Tommy</i> of all people, to be playing the long game. He's never been particularly patient. </p><p> </p><p>Tubbo stands in the cafeteria again, fighting down a yawn. Despite everything, this loop has actually been going really well. He's tempted to just go back upstairs and get some sleep.</p><p> </p><p>After a few more minutes of nothing happening, he gives in to that temptation.</p><p> </p><p>He climbs up the ladder. The top deck has a feeling of <i>life</i> to it, with evidence of actual people. </p><p>The most obvious evidence is Sparklez, sitting on the floor, back to the door to the lounge, seemingly keeping watch.</p><p> </p><p>Sparklez gives him a hesitant wave. "Oh. Hey kid." he says, sitting up.</p><p>Tubbo sees his hand drift to rest just on his hip above his weapon. He probably wouldn't have noticed if he weren't looking.</p><p>Tubbo gives him a tired smile. "I… I need to get some sleep." </p><p>Sparklez nods in understanding. "If you're not comfortable sleeping on your own in your room, everyone else is in the lounge. We have a system so there's always someone keeping watch inside and outside."</p><p>Tubbo nods, thinking it over. He's not entirely trusting of the others to protect him from danger while he sleeps, but he's definitely not going to be able to sleep when he's on his own.</p><p>He opens the door, Sparklez shuffling aside to let him past, and walks into the still darkly lit lounge. The screen is still showing the aquarium livestream, but is focusing on the gentle lull of seagrass in the current as fish dart in and out.</p><p>Minx is leaning back in a beanbag, looking at her phone. She flashes Tubbo a casual peace sign in acknowledgement and goes back to what she was doing.</p><p>Scott is asleep on the larger couch, CPK lying on the floor behind it, his legs just visible.</p><p>Tubbo picks up a blanket from the small couch, looks around the room, and picks a spot on the floor behind the it, since it's too small to sleep on. He unclasps the belt his sword is attached to, setting it to the side. He lays down on the soft carpet, not even bothering to take his jacket off, and lets his eyes fall shut.</p><p> </p><p>____</p><p> </p><p>He's pulled from his sleep by Scott nudging him. "Hey Tubbo? Do you want food?"</p><p>Tubbo sleepily rolls over to look up at him, "nnnggh." he says. "Whah… What time is it?" </p><p>Scott looks over at the clock. "It's midday. You slept in a while, but none of us wanted to wake you."</p><p><i>What?</i> Tubbo sits up, ready to run down and check -- he's been asleep for so long, anything could have happened --</p><p>Scott rests his hands on his shoulders. He realises that Scott is kneeling on the couch, looking over the backrest and down at Tubbo. "Hey hey - it's alright. I've been in contact with everyone, no one's hurt, well other than Fundy, but you knew about that already -- there's nothing to worry, or feel guilty about."</p><p>"Oh." Tubbo relaxes, resting his hands on his knees. His neck is really sore from sleeping on the floor. He rubs at it. He does feel pretty hungry. "What was this about food?"</p><p> </p><p>There's a stark difference between the night settings and this beautiful, brilliant day. He can actually look down the hallway from the cafeteria and see all the way into the back of Storage.</p><p>He sits at the cafeteria table next to Minx, and Scott sets a plate of pancakes in front of him. "Here." he says cheerfully. "We were gonna make something else, but all the knives are gone."</p><p>Tubbo laughs awkwardly. "Uh. My bad." </p><p>He sees a slight tension in Scott's shoulders loosen at the confirmation that Tommy doesn't have them. Apparently, he's still made no sign of life. Tommy has been a looming discomfort over all of their activities.</p><p>"What'd you do with them?" Callum asks as he wipes the frying pan clean.</p><p>"I didn't want Tommy or Fundy getting them, so I threw them in the compactor."</p><p>Callum raises his eyebrows. "Huh. I suppose that makes sense." he holds the frying pan up, swinging it loosely, "what about this? Could make a decent blunt weapon. Or the wok."</p><p>Tubbo sighs dramatically, "we are not throwing the cast-iron wok in the compactor. It would <i>destroy</i> the mechanism."</p><p>Across the table, Sylvee spears the remainder of her pancake with her fork. She holds the piece in front of herself, examining it. "Tommy should be getting pretty hungry by now." she muses.</p><p>Minx hums, "Yeah, probably. We should take the leftovers to Phil and Wilbur. Fundy, too, if he behaves himself."</p><p>Sparklez doesn't say anything, just hands Tubbo the bottle of syrup.</p><p>Tubbo happily pours too much syrup on his pancakes. He picks up his fork and pokes at his food, lost in thought. Tommy always is quick to get frustrated when he's hungry. With him on an empty stomach, they'll be entering dangerous territory.</p><p>Fundy doesn't even <i>need</i> any food delivery - there's rations in the brig that he can access at any time, but it would be nice of them to bring him freshly cooked food.</p><p>Tubbo cuts the pancake into a smaller portions with the side of his fork, since he destroyed the butterknives too. Perhaps a bit of an overreaction, because he can picture someone doing a lot more damage with a fork than a butterknife. He stares out the window as he eats, not listening to the others' conversation.</p><p>He helps himself to a second serving.</p><p>After everyone's done eating, Minx stands. "I'm going to go take the rest to the others." she announces, "does anyone want to come with me?"</p><p>"I will." Tubbo says, eager to feel like he's doing something useful again. </p><p>The pack the remaining pancakes into containers - for Wilbur, Phil and Fundy. </p><p>The first stop is Wilbur, who immediately opens the door to Security before Tubbo even has time to knock. He snatches the container from his hands with a smile. "Thanks." </p><p>The door shuts in Tubbo's face.</p><p>Minx rolls her eyes and turns to walk away.</p><p>They walk through the engine room, through Storage and to the cockpit. Tubbo knocks on the locked door. "Phil!" he calls, "we brought food!"</p><p>There's a moment of silence before there's a loud clanging of something hitting the ground and Phil swears. Stumbling footsteps, and the door cracks open. "…Food?" Phil asks hopefully. </p><p>Minx presents the box. </p><p>"Ah. Thanks." With a wave, Phil closes the bulkhead door again, and it screeches unpleasantly as it locks.</p><p>"I should get a bonus for all this delivery work." Minx comments, and begins to walk back to storage.</p><p>Before he follows her, Tubbo runs around the corner to the dislodged wall panel, and places a fourth container inside the entrance to the tunnel. He the box forward with force, and it slides into the darkness. After a moment, he can hear it collide with the far wall with a faintly echoing thud.</p><p>Tubbo picks up the panel from the floor and pushes it back in place.</p><p>He gives it one final look before running back to meet Minx in Storage.</p><p> </p><p>"Where'd you run off to?" She asks, and Tubbo gives her a non-committal shrug. She gives him an unimpressed look, but doesn't bother questioning him. She tucks the last box under her arm and climbs down the ladder, Tubbo following after her.</p><p>Fundy's still in the brig (which makes sense, since if he got out Wilbur would know, and he would <i>probably</i> tell them). He's sat on his bed, typing furiously on his phone. He doesn't spare the two visitors more than a glance, shifting his position so that his screen is angled away from them.</p><p>"We brought pancakes!" Tubbo says. Without looking up, Fundy gives him a rude gesture.</p><p>Minx hits the button to open a slot in the wall and pushes the box through. It lands with plop on the floor. "If you're gonna be a bitch, I don't care. They'll get cold soon, though."</p><p>Fundy doesn't give them a response.</p><p> </p><p>Minx leaves, but Tubbo stands there for a minute or so, just observing him.<br/>
Fundy is obviously furious, eyebrows drawn into a glare. Occasionally Fundy's eyes will flick from his phone screen to Tubbo and back to whatever he's writing, and he seems even more mad that Tubbo is still here. </p><p>"What are you doing?" Tubbo asks.</p><p>"It's not your business." Fundy says sharply. "Go away."</p><p>At some point, Fundy had torn both of the fabric ears out of his hair. The snapped-shorter hairs stick up comically. </p><p>Fundy stops glancing over at him, so Tubbo eventually gets bored and leaves.</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo sincerely hopes that he can save Fundy. He really doesn't like this cranky, no-fun and very dangerous version of his friend.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Tubbo returns to the cafeteria, the others have already cleaned up all the dishes and scraped the scraps into the compactor. It'll need emptying soon, which is a strange reminder that life <i>is</i> continuing, and Tubbo finally has the chance to progress. It feels like he's suddenly in the future.</p><p>"It's so annoying that we're turning around," Sylvee complains, standing at the window and looking out at the stars. "We’re closer to Beta Hydrus than Rigel. A whole wasted week."</p><p>"Yeah, well, with the… situation, it really does seem like the best move." Scott says, "we should reunite with the rest of the crew, and get this whole - possession thing - sorted. Rigel has better resources for that, anyway."</p><p>"I should have just paid full-fare at a proper ferry service instead of trying to save money." Sylvee sighs.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You would not believe how refreshing it is to finally write a new scene with a new mood in different lighting. Why did I write such an overspecific timeloop fic. I could have written something actually related to the SMP and gotten clout, like a normal person.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0049"><h2>49. The Open Sky</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>*the opening to Skyfall by Adele plays*</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So," Callum says, wringing his hands, "what now?"<br/>
 <br/>
The group in cafeteria stand in blank silence. It's the question they've all been thinking, and none of them have an answer.<br/>
 <br/>
"We just have to wait for something to happen. Hopefully, nothing will." Scott says.<br/>
 <br/>
After more silence, Minx breaks it, "I'm going back to the lounge. If you don't want to stay down here and be bored and nervous, come with."<br/>
 <br/>
She walks away without waiting for any reaction, climbing the ladder. With a moment's hesitation, Sylvee, Callum and Sparklez follow. Sparklez gives Tubbo a look, but he's not really sure how to read it. Probably a warning to keep an eye out.<br/>
 <br/>
Scott opens one of the cabinets in the wall, pulling out a book. "I'll be staying down here for a bit." he says, sitting down and opening the book to its bookmarked page.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo isn't sure what he wants to do, or where he wants to go. He rests his hand on the hilt of the sword strapped around his waist again, the reminder of the responsibilities weighing on him.<br/>
 <br/>
The others aren't purposefully putting a burden on him. They're not leaving any work to him, since none of them expect anything to be happening. They can defend themselves, they don't actually <i>need</i> Tubbo to patrol the ship looking for trouble.<br/>
 <br/>
But he can't, on a good conscience, sit back and do nothing. He checks the time. 12:49 pm.<br/>
 <br/>
If this were a normal day, he'd be complaining at someone until they handed him lunch.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
Bored and restless, Tubbo unsheathes the sword, making to hold it above him and examine the engravings. He balks, almost dropping it.<br/>
 <br/>
It's still coated in Fundy's blood. He feels a bit nauseous.<br/>
 <br/>
The blood stains along one edge, smeared by its time in the scabbard but thankfully dry. Tubbo isn't sure what he'd do if it were still dripping. As is, the guilt is clawing at his chest.<br/>
 <br/>
He had forgotten about what he did.<br/>
 <br/>
Scott is to engrossed in his book to notice anything happening. Not wanting to catch his attention, Tubbo inches around behind him to the kitchen counter.<br/>
 <br/>
He turns on the tap, soaking a cloth. Careful to not cut himself through the fabric, he sets the sword down on the counter and gingerly wipes at the metal. He manages to clean most of the reddish-brown stains off, but can't get it out of the intricate engravings.<br/>
 <br/>
Techno's gonna be <i>so mad</i>. If Tommy doesn't kill him, Techno will.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo deposits the disgusting, dirty cloth in a basket next to the counter, and sheaths the sword carefully. The sheath itself is probably filthy, but he has no idea what to do about it.<br/>
 <br/>
He leans against the counter, arms crossed, and turns his head to look out at the stars lazily drifting past.<br/>
Tubbo's mind once again returns to the question of <i>why is this happening?</i><br/>
 <br/>
He knows the impostors want everyone dead. But <i>Why?</i> Do they want to steal the ship? Are they some kind of soul-sucking vampires?<br/>
 <br/>
Surely there is a reason for their behaviour. They came from a space rock, they <i>have</i> an origin beyond this ship.<br/>
 <br/>
The question he decides he most wants answered is: are they doing this out of some kind of self-preservation, or are they illogical at their core?<br/>
A <i>sane</i> mind-controlling-magic-thing surely wouldn't go through all of this effort if they didn't get something out of it.<br/>
 <br/>
Revising everything he's learned in his head, he just can't come up with an answer.<br/>
 <br/>
He's not sure if he could stand not knowing.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo startles a bit when someone walks into the room. His hand lands on the handle of the sword, ready to draw it to defend himself and Scott.<br/>
 <br/>
It's just Wilbur, who raises his eyebrows at Tubbo's reaction. He looks tired, and just gives Tubbo a wave.<br/>
 <br/>
Scott looks up from his book, turning in his seat. "Oh, Wilbur? What are you doing?"<br/>
 <br/>
Wilbur sets down the empty pancake box and sighs, stretching. "Gotta pee."<br/>
 <br/>
"How were the pancakes?" Scott asks conversationally.<br/>
 <br/>
"They were pretty good. Maybe next time don't soak them in syrup. Just made them all sticky and you didn't give me cutlery."<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo winces, glad that Wilbur is facing away from them. He didn't give anyone cutlery, did he? Phil's probably going to show up in a few hours with a similar complaint.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
Wilbur climbs the ladder to the top deck, leaving Tubbo and Scott to themselves.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
They're the only ones on this deck now, aside from Phil. Tubbo draws the sword, holding in his right hand and absently lets the point tap against the tiled floor.<br/>
 <br/>
He listens. He hears three things - the buzz of the lights, Scott humming to himself and the rumbling of the engines down the hallway. No footsteps, no gentle thuds of someone crawling in the tunnels undoubtedly on the other side of the walls.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo steps to the side to look down the hallways. The lights being on daytime mode really is a blessing, because he can properly see the chair in Weapons across from him, and the rattling engine down the hallway behind him.<br/>
 <br/>
His senses straining for any sign of Tommy, he's startled out of his skin by Wilbur's return. The tip of the sword collides loudly with the floor, catching Wilbur's attention. Wilbur raises his eyebrows, but makes no comment.<br/>
 <br/>
Wilbur picks up a mug and fills it with water, and with a wave to Scott, turns and walks back to Security.<br/>
 <br/>
Growing bored of standing idly, Tubbo steps away from the counter and tables, finding an empty patch of floor. Very slowly and carefully, he experimentally tries twirling his wrist, watching as the end flips up and swings in the air.<br/>
 <br/>
The momentum of the heavy metal flying through the air twists his arm and he accidentally lets go. He reflexively jumps back so that it doesn’t hit his feet. It lands tip-first, bouncing up before falling on its side and sliding under the table behind him.<br/>
 <br/>
Scott flinches at the noise. He turns and looks over his shoulder to see a cringing Tubbo. "Maybe start with a stick next time," Scott says, "Or better, find something better to do."<br/>
 <br/>
A bit embarrassed, Tubbo crawls under the table to grab the sword. Returning to his feet, he notices the tip of the sword is slightly bent to the side. Oh no, Techno really is going to kill him.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
The sword isn't bent enough to prevent him from fitting it into the scabbard, but he can't slide it in all the way - a slight bit of the blade is sticking out at the top. He decides to not force it back in place, knowing that it would probably slice the faux-leather open.<br/>
 <br/>
Scott looks over at him again, as if sensing his panic, so Tubbo turns and practically runs away.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
He ducks into Admin to be out of view through the hallway, ready to regret his life's choices, when the alarms start blaring. He snaps his head up to the flashing red lights, and his body carries him to the nearest console, on the wall. He lifts his hand to activate it, but is distracted by his phone buzzing.<br/>
 <br/>
He pulls it from his pocket, and is running out of the room as soon as he glances at the words written on the screen.<br/>
 <br/>
<i>Everything in Security has been wrecked check the brig</i> the text had said.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo runs into Storage, just in time to run into Tommy. Tubbo bodily slams Tommy, shoving him back and into a barrel. Tubbo stumbles, regaining his balance as he draws the sword. He backs away, out of Tommy's reach in case he tries anything.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo, holding the blade pointed to Tommy, walks a slow circle to stand in between the mimic of his friend and the ladder down to the brig. He stands, his back to the ladder, Tommy in front of him. Behind Tommy, Tubbo makes panicked eye contact with Scott all the way down the hallway into Cafeteria. Scott runs out of view. Tubbo drags his eyes back to Tommy.<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy eyes the sword. There's a mad look in his eyes.<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy is holding a <i>keyboard</i> of all things, missing most of its keys. Tommy adjusts his grip to hold it by one end and slams it against the blade. Tubbo's arm is pushed slightly to the side, but he doesn't drop it - rather than knocking the sword away, the keyboard is sliced in half.<br/>
 <br/>
The remaining keys scatter over the floor.<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy grins, all teeth and no smile.<br/>
 <br/>
His movements are quite animalistic as he backs away, eyes flicking around the room. Tubbo's phone buzzes again, but he doesn't take his eyes off Tommy.<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy flips the remaining half of the keyboard over in his hands, as if gauging its weight. Cautious, Tubbo sets his stance slightly back and draws the sword closer to himself, in what feels like a defensive pose.<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy's eyes keep landing on something behind and a little bit to the side of Tubbo, but Tubbo doesn't turn to look.<br/>
 <br/>
The hatch over the ladder is sealed, meaning Tommy won't have time to rush Tubbo and open it before Tubbo can stop him. He's cornered, and Tubbo actually seems to have the upper hand.<br/>
 <br/>
With a gentle smirk, Tommy shifts his position from the awkward, slight hunch to stand tall and relaxed. Tommy tilts his head, looking around the room for one last sweep before focusing his attention on Tubbo.<br/>
 <br/>
"Tommy." Tubbo warns, his voice low.<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy holds his hands up, keyboard held loosely in his right hand. "Alright, I surrender." He doesn't even attempt to act innocent.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo narrows his eyes. Tommy wouldn't give in this easy, even on a normal day. Definitely not while he's possessed by some kind of spirit of impulsiveness. "…What are you planning?"<br/>
 <br/>
"Nothing," Tommy says with a sigh, "There's nothing I can do. Take me away, Big Man," there's a hint of friendliness to his tone, which only confuses Tubbo more.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo isn't sure what to do - what <i>can</i> he do? How can he take Tommy into custody when access to the brig is <i>exactly</i> what he wants?<br/>
 <br/>
And then the shattered keyboard collides with his face. Tubbo flinches and clutches at his face with one hand. "Ow!" he says, slightly delayed. The corner had poked his eye, and he scrunches it shut in pain. Tommy uses his distraction to knock a barrel over and kick it towards Tubbo. He recoils out of the way, swinging the sword.<br/>
 <br/>
It collides with the barrel. He tugs at it, but it doesn’t come loose. Oh fuck. It's jammed.<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy runs to the side and hits a button. Tubbo pulls harder on the sword. In a hand to hand fight, there's no way he's winning against Tommy.<br/>
 <br/>
He hears the sound of a mechanism shifting, and yanks the sword out and turns around just in time to see Tommy smugly standing in the escape pod and the door slamming shut. <br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
"Tommy!" Tubbo shouts, running forwards. "Don't you <i>dare</i>"<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy grins and flips him the bird with both hands. He turns to inspect the console inside the pod.<br/>
 <br/>
He evidently finds the buttons he was looking for; the escape pod disconnects from the main ship.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
"<i>Scott! Wilbur</i>" Tubbo screams. He unscrews the hatch down to the next deck, heaving the bulkhead up. It swings over and lands against the floor with a resounding thud.<br/>
 <br/>
Wilbur runs into the room.<br/>
 <br/>
"Tubbo - are you alright -- I'm sorry for not being quicker I was -" Wilbur exclaims breathlessly, but Tubbo just shoves the hilt of the sword into Wilbur's hand and climbs down the ladder.<br/>
 <br/>
"Wait - what are you doing?" Wilbur calls after him.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo ignores him, stepping down from the ladder and running over to the airlock. He hits the button to open it, stepping in.<br/>
 <br/>
He finds the latch of the locker and yanks the door open, pulling out the yellow suit. He hurriedly pulls it on, fumbling with the zipper. He checks it's secure and pulls the helmet on, screwing it tight. He doesn't waste time connecting an oxygen tube - he won't be out there for long enough for the tank to deplete.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo grabs a grappling hook from the locker, and slams the door shut.<br/>
 <br/>
He's not sure what his plan is. He activates the sequence to open the airlock door anyway.<br/>
 <br/>
The door between himself and the rest of the ship locks, and after a moment's pause, the door separating him from the abyss opens.<br/>
 <br/>
He can hear nothing but his own breath.<br/>
 <br/>
Gravity fades away, allowing him to leisurely float upwards.<br/>
He props one foot against the wall and pushes away, propelling himself into the void.</p><p>It's just him and the endless sea of stars.<br/>
 <br/>
He can see the escape pod clearly - Tommy hadn't bothered turning off the high-vis lights, so he can clearly see it awkwardly bumbling around, slowly moving towards the front of the ship. Like a disco ball crossed with a bee.<br/>
 <br/>
Realising he has to act or he'll drift away from the ship entirely, he loads the grappling hook, firing to attach just under the window to Shields. He winds it in, sending himself flying forwards to chase Tommy. The ship passes underneath him quickly, and his boots collide with the hull at the end of the cord.<br/>
 <br/>
What the fuck is Tommy even trying to do?<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo crouches down and activates the magnetic locks of his boots, simply running for the rest of the stretch to reach the front of the ship. He almost steps on the glass, looking down he sees Phil's alarmed face staring right back at him.<br/>
 <br/>
He sees bright lights reflected on the glass, and when he looks up he sees the escape pod bearing right down on him.<br/>
 <br/>
Oh no.<br/>
 <br/>
He hurriedly reaches down to his boots to hit the switch to toggle the magnetic attachment to the ship off and jumps out of the way, narrowly avoiding being crushed between the two ships. He can only watch as he drifts backwards, weightlessly spinning head over heels.<br/>
 <br/>
The pod smashes into the window at an angle, metal skidding against metal. Tubbo assumes would make a horrifically echoing <i>screech</i>, but he obviously can't hear it. The ships push against each other, before the pod is flung to the side, shedding metal panels and bolts.<br/>
 <br/>
A shard of metal flies past his helmet.<br/>
 <br/>
For one of the first times, Tubbo no longer feels in his element out here. He feels genuine fear.<br/>
 <br/>
He's terribly aware of how tiny and helpless he is. Death is only a layer of fabric away.<br/>
 <br/>
In the complete silence, his shaking breaths are deafening.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo flails, but forces himself to be calm. All he has to do is to angle the barrel of the grapple gun to hit the ship. If he misses this shot, he's screwed.<br/>
 <br/>
He hears the spacesuit crinkle as he lifts his arms to hold the grapple gun up, ready to fire.<br/>
 <br/>
The universe cartwheels around him, but Tubbo doesn't have the time to reorient himself, even if he could. The more time he waits, the smaller and further away his target becomes, and the less chance he has of hitting it. Because that's what it is at this point. No matter how skilful he may be, this is still up to chance.<br/>
 <br/>
His hands are shaking.<br/>
 <br/>
He times his spins at about two seconds per rotation. <i>One, Two.</i> He fires.<br/>
 <br/>
The grapple soars forwards, and the slight recoil increases the rate of his spins. He hardly expects it to connect, but it miraculously does. The wire is pulled taut, cutting his flight short with a jolt that almost pulls the grapple gun from his grip. Not wanting to let go, he hooks the caribiner on his suit to the wire.<br/>
 <br/>
And then the damn escape pod collides with the cord, sending him hurtling through space towards the main ship. "<i>Fuck you</i> Tommy!" he screams, completely uselessly. Tubbo is swung around the pod before slamming, shoulder first into the Weapons window with a crunch. He bounces off, yelling in pain. The length of cord tangles around the laser cannons, cutting his flight off with another dizzying lurch that feels like it pulls his heart out of his chest.</p><p>Water leaks from his eyes, floating around his helmet and blurring his visor.<br/>
 <br/>
He drifts there for a few seconds, catching his breath. Lifting his uninjured arm, he grabs the wire and pulls himself forward, wrapping his arm and legs around one of the cannons.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo watches as Tommy reorients the escape pod to slam into the window again. It darts forwards and whams into the ship, and Tubbo can feel the shock through the cannon he's hugging.<br/>
 <br/>
The pod bounces back. The window is spiderwebbed with cracks, but Tommy doesn't falter.<br/>
 <br/>
A different kind of fear settles in Tubbo's gut. Tommy doesn't have a spacesuit on - if the pod breaks, <i>he's dead</i>.</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo remembers his communicator, and making sure his grip around the cannon with his legs was secure, lifted his hand to touch the base of his helmet. He clicks his communicator on.</p><p>"<i>Tommy please turn on your comms, don't you dare --</i>" Wilbur says.</p><p>"Hey Wilbur." Tubbo interrupts. "I… Uh… I'm stuck."</p><p>Wilbur sighs. "<i>Yeah. I saw you flying past the cockpit window.</i>"</p><p>Phil laughs humourlessly. "<i>…Looked painful.</i>"</p><p>Tubbo wraps his arm around the cannon again. "Do you have a plan?"</p><p>"<i>No.</i>" Wilbur growls, frustration clear. "<i>Our only options are to talk him down before he gets himself hurt. But his comms </i>aren't on."</p><p>"I'll see what I can do." Tubbo says, and changes his comm frequency to an empty channel.</p><p> <br/>
Tubbo reaches down to the caribiner at his hip. He unlatches it, detaching himself from the tangled wire. Unwrapping himself from the cannon, he moves his legs to be against it, jumping up to propel himself forwards, injured arm tucked to his chest. </p><p>He flies across the black emptiness towards the pod and manages to grab a rung of the exterior ladder, softening his impact by bending his arm into it to slow his inertia.<br/>
 <br/>
He feels a flash of pride at the move - he always was the better of the two at navigating zero gravity.<br/>
 <br/>
Activating the magnetic locks again, he steps down onto the damaged hull. He knocks on the window, making eye contact with Tommy.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo gestures to his ear.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
With a glare, Tommy turns on his communicator.</p><p>Tommy looks like a mess. He's slightly bleeding from his hairline - part of the interior must have detached and hit him.<br/>
 <br/>
"<i>What the fuck do you want?</i>" Tommy demands, "<i>give me one reason to not squash you between these two ships like a shitty bug.</i>"<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo winces. That's an unpleasant mental image. "This isn't going to work, Tommy."<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy scowls at him. "<i>Don't fucking look down at me.</i>"<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo squats down, pressing his hands to the glass. "This better? …You're just gonna get yourself killed, Tommy."<br/>
 <br/>
"<i>So? Why do you care?</i>"<br/>
 <br/>
"You're my <i>friend</i>, Tommy," Tubbo says softly, "my best friend. Of course I care."<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy rolls his eyes, reaching to the dashboard again.<br/>
 <br/>
"<i>Tommy!</i> You're not going to destroy the ship!" Tubbo pleads, "You're going to ruin that body and every chance you have left to win."<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy pauses.<br/>
 <br/>
"Look - you've barely dented the ship! This pod can't take another hit. It's an escape pod, not a juggernaut."<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy frowns, and with a resigned sigh, sits back in his seat.<br/>
 <br/>
"<i>So what do you suggest I do? I'm not stupid enough to think you'll let me back on the ship.</i>"<br/>
 <br/>
"Of course we'll let you back! You're infected, this isn't --"<br/>
 <br/>
"<i>I know I'm infected. I know I'm not thinking right. I hate it.</i>" Tommy whispers. "<i>I hate it.</i>"<br/>
 <br/>
"Then let us help you. Please."<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy looks up tiredly. "<i>Fine.</i>"<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
The tangled grapple is a bit of a lost cause, so Tubbo doesn't try to remove it from where it's attached to the front of the ship and tangled around the cannons. It only slightly covers <i>one</i> of the windows in the cockpit.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo clings a bit nervously to the side of the pod as Tommy clumsily pilots it to the airlock. Tubbo reaches across and grabs onto the handholds on the side of the ship and turns off the magnet locks in his boots, releasing them from the pod. He swings his legs to land on the hull, and opens the exterior door. Waving to Tommy, he pushes himself into the airlock.<br/>
 <br/>
The door closes behind him, and his weight returns to his shaky legs. He almost tilts over, but catches himself by gabbing onto a handhold on the wall.<br/>
 <br/>
He pulls of his helmet, brushing his sweaty hair away from his face in terrified relief. He did it.<br/>
 <br/>
He unzips and pulls the suit off, messily shoving it back into the locker.<br/>
 <br/>
The fading adrenaline leaves him feeling dizzy.<br/>
 <br/>
The door into the cargo bay slides open. Fundy is staring at him from the brig, eyes following him as he walks to the ladder. When he sets his foot on the first rung, Fundy slams something against the glass. Tubbo ignores him, climbing up one-armed.<br/>
 <br/>
Scott and Minx are standing in Storage, worriedly talking. They see him, and pause.<br/>
 <br/>
"Tubbo!" Scott says, running over to him, "what were you <i>doing?</i>"<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo shrugs. "I have no idea. It worked though." he points at the escape pod returning to the dock, gracelessly attempting to reconnect with the airtight port. Tommy seems to give up, because he hits the autopilot and it arranges itself for him.<br/>
 <br/>
The ship clamps the locks around the pod, and after a quick automated check, allows Tommy to open the door.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo walks over to the pod.<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy <i>lunges</i> out, grabbing Tubbo in a headlock.<br/>
 <br/>
He walks backwards towards Electrical, dragging Tubbo with him. "<i>Stay back.</i>" Tommy demands, holding a survival knife to Tubbo's neck.<br/>
 <br/>
"Tubbo!" Scott says in shock, hands reaching towards them uselessly.<br/>
 <br/>
"I won't hurt him if you let Fundy out of the brig." Tommy says, his voice low.<br/>
 <br/>
"We can't do that, Tommy." Minx says.<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo reaches up to claw at Tommy's arm around his neck, ignoring the pain that flares in his shoulder. "Don’t." Tommy warns, before looking back to the others. "The choice isn't that complicated. Either you cooperate or he's dead."<br/>
 <br/>
Shit, Tubbo actually has no idea what to do here.<br/>
 <br/>
"You - you don’t <i>actually</i> want to kill Tubbo." Scott says nervously, "If you kill your hostage you won't have any power anymore."<br/>
 <br/>
"One kill is still better than none."<br/>
 <br/>
Scott looks incredibly disturbed.<br/>
 <br/>
Tommy takes another step back.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
____<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo wakes up slowly, appreciating how comfortable his bed is.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
And then he remembers.<br/>
 <br/>
Dammit. All that work, and he failed <i>right at the end.</i><br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo really doesn't want to do that again. He feels so tired.<br/>
 <br/>
He reluctantly sits up and opens his eyes, ready to jump out of bed - he's not sure what --<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
He's not in his room.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
He blinks, and his surroundings blur.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
This is… Medbay?<br/>
 <br/>
<i>What?</i><br/>
 <br/>
One of his arms is in a sling. He rubs at his head, but his hand contacts with fabric. A bandage.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
He has to -- the others might  -- where are they?<br/>
His thoughts are a garbled mess, and he pulls himself out of bed and shakily walks towards the door.<br/>
 <br/>
The door slides open before he can reach it, and he's suddenly face-to-face with Phil.<br/>
 <br/>
They stare at each other, and then Tubbo's legs suddenly stop working and he falls forward.<br/>
 <br/>
"<i>Shit--</i>" Phil catches him in a bit of a fumble. "What are you doing up?"<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo tries to pull himself back to his feet, but his body isn't cooperating. "I - I need to - the--"<br/>
 <br/>
"Hey hey, it's alright," Phil reassures, guiding him back to the bed, "we got everything solved, there's nothing to worry about."<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo tries to blink the haze from his vision. "What? But --"<br/>
 <br/>
"You got knocked out, so your memory is a bit patchy." Phil says.<br/>
 <br/>
He sits back down on the bed, trying to process. "So… we <i>didn't</i> loop? Whe - What <i>happened</i>?"<br/>
 <br/>
"Ah, well, Tommy took you hostage."<br/>
 <br/>
Tubbo nods impatiently, he knew that. His head flares up with pain and he instantly regrets it.<br/>
 <br/>
"He stepped on a loose key from that keyboard and slipped. You both fell and you hit your head pretty bad."<br/>
 <br/>
"…Oh."<br/>
 <br/>
"Tommy and Fundy are both in the brig now. But you're not fit to be walking around yet. Take your time."<br/>
 <br/>
Phil gives him a thumbs up and leaves, probably just finishing his break and going back to man the cockpit.<br/>
 <br/>
Time. Tubbo almost bursts into laughter. He finally has <i>time</i>.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
His eyes leak - he just covers them with his arm and leans back on the bed.<br/>
 <br/>
 <br/>
Later, he'll have to sort through everything that happened, but for now, he'll just sit back and let time pass.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well. I didn't really expect to ever get here. The last chapter! All that's left is the epilogue… and the sequel.</p><p>If you have questions about some things that haven't been explained - motivations, chapter titles, weird things I messed with (like chapter 15)… put them in the comments here or in my <a href="https://jestayork.tumblr.com/ask">tumblr askbox</a>(you don't need an account to send something) - I'll do my best to answer, but a lot of things will be explained in the sequel which is already up!</p><p>(P.S. I could <i>totally</i> scrub this and publish it as an actual book lol)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0050"><h2>50. Smooth Sailing II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>And time does pass. </p><p>The crew go back to normal activities, cooking, cleaning, trying to repair the lifepod. Whatever the impostors were, they're no longer an issue. There isn't any reason to be afraid anymore.</p><p>What <i>is</i> an issue, is Tommy and Fundy. After lying in the Medbay bed for a few hours, Tubbo decides to pay the two a visit. </p><p>Tubbo stands in front of the glass, watching the two prisoners. Tommy is resolutely facing away from him, and Fundy is fiddling with mangled pieces of metal. </p><p>Fundy's eyes flick to Tubbo for a second before he grumbles and scoops the metal into his hands to deposit onto his bedsheet. </p><p>Tubbo sits on a crate and watches. "Where'd you get the scrap?" </p><p>Fundy doesn't reply, trying to bend one piece back into shape. It's probably supposed to be a square.</p><p>Tommy chuckles, finally looking at Tubbo. "It's what <i>used</i> to be his phone. The idiot ruined it trying to smash through the glass." Tommy looks messed up, his eyes shadowed from sleep deprivation and his hair all tangled.</p><p>Tubbo tilts his head. "That… doesn't look like a phone at all."</p><p>Fundy hunches over, and the piece of bent metal snaps in his shaking hands. "<i>I know.</i>" he growls. "I'm <i>trying</i>"</p><p>"Maybe you should think about that before you smash it against the bulletproof glass repeatedly." Tubbo suggests.</p><p>Fundy reaches to grab Tommy's phone and throws it against the glass. There's an audible crack. Tommy leaps off his bed to pick it up from the floor, and groans when he sees its screen is shattered. "You're a fucking idiot Fundy." he complains.</p><p>Fundy sweeps the fragments of his phone off of his bed and back onto the floor in resignation. "So are <i>you</i>. The plan was simple enough."</p><p>"What was the plan?" Tubbo asks curiously, but the only response is glares from Tommy and Fundy.</p><p>As much as Tubbo would like to ignore it, these two people aren't his friends anymore. They may act like themselves, he knows that they would kill him the first chance they get.</p><p>"Who are you?" he asks.</p><p>Tommy gives him a confused frown. "Huh? What do you mean? I'm Tommy."</p><p>"You know that's not what I meant. You've already been caught, there's no reason to keep up this act."</p><p>Fundy chuckles, but doesn't say anything. </p><p>"I know we lost." Tommy says. "But I'm not hiding anything. I'm just Tommy."</p><p>Tubbo stands, and leans close to the glass. "<i>You're not Tommy.</i> Tommy would <i>never</i> try to hurt me."</p><p>Tommy smiles. "Are you sure?"</p><p>Tubbo almost screams in frustration. Instead, he takes a deep breath and walks away as Tommy and Fundy laugh together.</p><p>He fights off the growing feeling of despair. How can they even find a cure when they refuse to give any information on what's going on? How can Tubbo possibly help with something he doesn't understand?</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo is met by Phil and Scott in Storage. Scott is holding a toolbox as Phil examines the damaged interior. "Nothing that's an immediate hazard to the rest of the ship right now." Phil concludes, dropping a screwdriver back into the box. "We can leave the repairs 'til we're back planetside. It'd be a nightmare working on the hull while we're out here." </p><p>Scott nods and clicks the toolbox shut. "It's gonna be a long, boring job fixing everything when we get back."</p><p>And that's painfully true. With the damages from the meteoroid and the escape pod slamming into the front of the ship, it might take more time than it's worth replacing parts and knocking the metal back into place. The escape pod is probably better off sold as scrap.</p><p>Phil closes the door to the pod, securing the airlock. "Just in case air escapes out the cracks in the pod window." he explains. </p><p>Tubbo nods, standing silently as the two climb down the ladder into Cargo. </p><p> </p><p>It's so strange. He doesn't realise why he's uncomfortable until he turns, half expecting to see Tommy by his side. Adjusting the sling his arm is still held in, he takes a deep sigh and keeps walking to the Cafeteria.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>An hour or so later, Wilbur announces over the intercom: "<i>Alright, we'll be opening the airlock to dump everything out of Cargo bay, so just… keep out of the way.</i>"</p><p>Tubbo sits up from where he'd been slouched, head resting on the cafeteria table. They're opening the cargo bay hatch? That must've been what Phil and Scott went to do down there - they fixed the vent so it's airtight again. </p><p>But why do they want to dump the cargo, anyway?</p><p>Tubbo stands, intending to find Wilbur and ask him.<br/>
Lifting his injured arm causes a slight twang of pain. </p><p>Since Security was wrecked by Tommy, Tubbo finds Wilbur in the cockpit. He's sitting next to Phil, and when Tubbo walks in he hits the button to close the cargo bay hatch. </p><p>"…Why did we drop the cargo?" Tubbo asks, "Isn't it important?"</p><p>Wilbur nods. "Exactly. This job is very important.  We're dumping it because it might have trackers, and we don't want our employer knowing we've turned around."</p><p>"Won't they be angry when they find out?"</p><p>"Of course, but they'll be angry either way, giving it back won't save us."</p><p>Tubbo's brow furrows. "Oh. What will happen to us?"</p><p>Wilbur shrugs. "We'll have to drop out of their radars. Be a lot more discreet and hopefully they will forget about us."</p><p>Phil, watching their conversation, speaks up. "Since they don't know what we're doing yet, we can take a few maincourse phasegates back to Rigel. It's best to get back to Techno, Niki and Eret as soon as we can. We'll be going through our first gate in a few hours."</p><p>Tubbo nods, and stares out at the stars. There's a faint smear of… something on the window, from the collisions with the escape pod. With nothing left to say, he lets his feet carry him out of the room.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After mentally counting the number of loops he's lived, Tubbo realises that he's lived seven days in the last twenty four hours. There's probably twice that number that he doesn't remember but Tommy and Fundy do.</p><p>A week in one day.</p><p>It's a bit funny. </p><p> </p><p>The others emerge from wherever they've been to cook some food. A plate is pushed in front of Tubbo, but he doesn't touch it. </p><p>Someone pats him on the back, but he doesn't turn to see who.</p><p> </p><p>Time passes.</p><p> </p><p>The lights in the room dim to night mode. Tubbo feels like he's being watched. He slowly looks over his shoulder, but only sees a dark room, leading into a darker hallway. He feels like his skin is crawling.</p><p>He needs to get out of here.</p><p>He picks up the plate and tips the untouched food into the bin, setting the plate down. For some reason, it's wobbling in his hand. </p><p>Breathe in, breathe out. </p><p> </p><p>It’s fine. There's nothing to worry about.</p><p> </p><p>He climbs, one-handed, up the ladder to the top deck. It's dark up here too. </p><p>As his hand reaches out to his bedroom door, he flinches at the intercom sounding. </p><p>"<i>Alright, uh, we're going through the phasegate now, make sure you're strapped in.</i>" Phil says.</p><p>The others appear from the lounge, and they all strap in to the seats next to the airlock. </p><p>Tubbo looks out the window just in time to see the huge metal arch pass by as they travel through the gate.</p><p>Tubbo sits back and tries to relax. The universe lurches, and he's suddenly weightless.<br/>
Callum makes a startled noise. </p><p>The room is filled with blue static, and the universe outside the window fades into pure white, the stars seeming to grow until they cover all of infinity. The air buzzes, and tickles at Tubbo's hair. </p><p>His hand touches the armrest and there's a painful <i>zap.</i></p><p>He blinks. </p><p> </p><p>Ow.</p><p>That hurt. He shakes his arm, trying to dispel the pain. He can empathise with Fundy. It's always Fundy who gets hit by phasegate static. </p><p>…Why is his other arm in a sling? He runs his hand down his arm, and flinches when it makes his shoulder pulse with pain. </p><p>What the hell?</p><p>He looks up, and the rest of the crew look equally baffled. Fundy, who had been sitting across from him a few seconds ago, is <i>gone</i>.</p><p>The afterimages of the brightness are still in his vision when they exit the phasegate and the universe returns to a glittering void.</p><p>Wilbur unbuckles his own seatbelt and leaps to his feet. "Where the <i>fuck</i> are Tommy and Fundy?"</p><p>The passengers just stare wide-eyed.</p><p>Why didn't Tubbo notice <i>Tommy</i> was missing?</p><p>Everyone stands. "He - they were <i>just</i> here!" the female passenger says, bewildered. "How did they vanish?"</p><p>"My arm's in a sling." Tubbo says. "It wasn't before."</p><p>Scott looks around the room. "What’s <i>happening?</i>"</p><p>"Did they teleport?" Minx asks.</p><p>"Don't just stand around!" Wilbur stresses, "We have to find them."</p><p>The group split up, checking around the ship. Tubbo looks in his and Tommy's shared bedroom, finding it empty, so he looks in Fundy's room next. Also empty. </p><p>He's starting to feel concerned. Very concerned.</p><p> </p><p>His phone buzzes with a text. From Scott.</p><p>
  <i>I found them. They're in the brig.</i>
</p><p> </p><p>By the time Tubbo gets down to the cargo bay, the rest of the crew are already there, standing and looking around in confusion.</p><p>The cargo's <i>gone.</i></p><p>There's also a giant rock wedged in the hull of the ship, pieces of tape criss-crossed over it. </p><p>"Oh, wow." Tubbo says, and the others nod in agreement. </p><p>Tommy runs his hands through his hair, trying to comb it back to neatness. "This is so weird. What was I doing in the damn brig with <i>Fundy?</i>"</p><p>Fundy is wordlessly holding a pile of scraps, staring down at it. "…Guys. I think this is my phone."</p><p>"How can you tell <i>that</i>" Minx asks incredulously, eyebrows raised. </p><p>"It's missing, and this is the right colour." Fundy says, despair heavy in his voice. "Also, my arm is wounded. Like, really bad. But it's been bandaged."</p><p>Tubbo points at his sling. "Me too!"</p><p> </p><p>After a few minutes of discussion, they come to the consensus that something had happened that they don't remember. This is proven when they check the time and see that they're missing almost 24 hours.</p><p>Whatever happened, it ended with people hurt, two people in the brig, and collective amnesia.</p><p>"Must've been a wild night." Tommy says.</p><p>"We should check Security." Wilbur decides, "everything will be on tape."</p><p> </p><p>But when they go to Security, they're met with the sight of smashed monitors, hard drives cracked open and strewn all over the floor. </p><p>The computer system itself looks like it's been kicked and then thrown against the floor repeatedly.</p><p>"Oh." Fundy says.</p><p>Wilbur pinches his brow. "What. The. Hell."</p><p>Tubbo rubs at his eyes. This is all very interesting, and very scary, but "I'm… going to bed. See you in the morning."</p><p>Wilbur gives him a distracted thumbs up.</p><p>Tommy looks really tired, more than anyone. He practically slumps in relief that he can finally get some sleep. He follows Tubbo back to their room, flopping onto his bed immediately. </p><p>"This is so strange." Tommy says faintly.</p><p>Tubbo nods. "But it's pretty exciting, isn't it? I've never had the opportunity to solve a <i>real</i> mystery." He shrugs his jacket off, laying it over the back of the desk chair. Since the rickety old gravity generator glitches off during phasegate jumps, his books are in a messy pile on his desk, two notebooks having actually fallen off and onto the floor. Tubbo picks them up and makes a neat stack of books. </p><p>Tommy's already asleep.</p><p>Tubbo stands in the middle of the room and looking around as if he's missing something. But there's nothing left to do, so he climbs up to the top bunk.</p><p>He lays back and closes his eyes.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Tubbo sits up with a start, clutching his rapidly beating heart. He breathes quickly and heavily.<br/>
It was just a nightmare. </p><p>Despite trying to reassure himself that there's no danger, Tubbo's pulse doesn't slow. His eyes don't stop scanning the room, looking for <i>something</i>.</p><p>Tommy's still here, asleep in the bottom bunk, but somehow that isn't a reassurance. It only makes him more unsettled. Tubbo's legs itch for him to get up and go somewhere, but he doesn't know where. It feels like something is tugging on him to leave the room.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually he, with a deep sigh, lays down again, facing the wall. The only sounds are the steady rumble of the engine and Tommy breathing. </p><p>Tubbo pulls his blanket over his head.</p><p>He doesn't sleep for the rest of the night.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The lights brighten again for morning, but Tubbo doesn't move until Tommy wakes up first. Tommy shuffles around, preparing for the day, and then leaves the room.</p><p>Only then, does Tubbo sit up and jump down from his bed. Not caring about his looks, he just grabs a black hoodie and pulls it on. For some reason, it feels like he's missing an important part of his morning routine, but he can't remember what it could possibly be. </p><p>He walks out, into the hallway. It's eerily empty.</p><p>Tubbo waves the thought away. Of course there's no one in the hallway - there's no reason to hang around.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Everyone's in the cafeteria, as usual.</p><p>Tubbo is handed breakfast, and rather than sitting with the others, he elects to sit at the far table next to the window. He absently pokes at the omelette with his fork, watching stars sail by. </p><p>"So, uh." Phil begins, "I'm not sure why… but when we came out of the phasegate, we were going back the way we came. Wilbur and I had a talk about it, and we decided that it probably is best to return to Rigel."</p><p>One of the passengers sighs. "Fine. I can't really argue with that, but it's such a waste of time to come all the way out here and have to turn back again."</p><p>"I'd better get my money back." the female passenger grumbles.</p><p>"Don't worry," Wilbur reassures, "we won't charge you for this. I just ask that you don't tell anyone anything you know about us."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After a few days, when Tubbo looks out the window, he sees the brilliant blue of Rigel shining, growing ever closer. He's healed enough to no longer need the sling - thanks to the wonders of modern medical technology.</p><p>The bright light floods the Weapons room. He sits in the chair, the console pushed to the side. The windows have an automatically adjusting tint, allowing him to just stare at the blue supergiant. He can see the swarms of planets orbiting it, and even though he can't tell which bright dot is their destination, he feels more complete knowing that soon, he'll both be reunited with Niki, Eret and Techno and finally set his feet on solid ground.</p><p>The fire on the surface of Rigel flares and twists in an ever burning storm.</p><p> </p><p>After orbiting the planet for a few hours waiting for a clear spot to land the ship, the cargo bay door lowers, allowing Tubbo to step out and back onto the rocky ground - the soil blasted away by hundreds of ships landing and taking off from this very spot. </p><p>There's a few dozen other ships parked in this spot, separated from the markets and the official shipyards by a mountain.</p><p>Niki, Eret and Techno are already standing there, waiting for them. Niki runs forward to wrap Minx in an enthusiastic hug, and Eret pushes a wheeled crate up the ramp and into the ship, Fundy helping him at the halfway point.</p><p>Techno strides directly towards Tubbo, ignoring the others. He grabs him by the shoulders, so they're standing face to face. "How did you know? How did you -- <i>are you some kind of space wizard?!</i>"</p><p>Tubbo cringes slightly under Techno's gaze. "I don't know? ...What are you even <i>talking about?</i>"</p><p>"You were on a ship, halfway across the Constellar Ring. Yet. You knew what I was doing and told me what I should to do avoid <i>dying in an explosion.</i>"</p><p>"…You were in an explosion?" Tubbo says helplessly.</p><p>Techno lets go of Tubbo's shoulders, calm and collected. He turns away with a vague pat to Tubbo's back, but Tubbo still feels like he's watching him.</p><p>The passengers, holding their bags, step off the ramp. One of them, the more muscular man, gives one final look back, and even though Tubbo doesn't remember any of their names, he feels like he should miss them. He doesn't call out a goodbye, and the three of them go their own ways, disappearing into the crowd of salespeople, local workers and other travellers.</p><p>Tommy pushes past Scott to harass Techno, and Tubbo feels a warmth in his chest. It's great to be reunited, regardless of what brought them here.</p><p> </p><p>Techno smoothly sticks a foot out and trips Tommy over.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for sticking around, <b>the continuation should be posted by the time you're reading this, so click over if you like</b>. Sorry this took so long, I've been pretty busy recently and writing is no longer an ideal method of procrastination...</p><p>If you're one of the people who was rooting for a bad end and would still like to see it, tell me and I'll probably get one written.</p><p>If you liked, leave a comment -- they do make me write more because when you're hyped, I'm hyped :D</p>
        </blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26599054">Infiltration</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Insane_but_smart/pseuds/Insane_but_smart">Insane_but_smart</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
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